Gentlemen Only, Ladies Forbidden
by AgoodWITCH
Summary: Taking place at the 1956 US Open, 20 year-old amateur golfer Isabella Swan becomes the first women to compete at a professional golf event, with local caddie Edward Cullen at her side, she makes her attempt at history. Will the trophy be all she wins?
1. A Historic Journey

**A/N: This story is based on a dream I couldn't get out of my head, a lifetime of living with a dad that LOVES golf and a stunned summer of being the ladies locker room attendant at a country club. (Who knew there was still a place where women were a second class citizen in 2010.) It's an interesting game but can be slow moving...which I intend to fix with the parade of pictures and angst you've come to love from me. I'm enjoying writing the progression of these relationships as they unfold on the course. Plus this time period is filled with interesting socio-economic as well as race issues for me to play with.**

**Once we start getting into the golf rounds, I'll be giving you a list of terms as they come up, but don't worry, I'm not getting too bogged down in it as all of my golf knowledge comes from my my dad, the golf god for this story. Big props to Pops! **

**This story is pre-planned as 6 chapterand will hopefully be updated every Wednesday.**

**Thanks for the love and reading this long note...and now on to golf!**

As Isabella Swan looked out the window of the train she'd spent the last three days on, the extraordinary series of events that led to her travelling east to be the first woman to compete in the U.S. Open had not escaped her.

Bella had been seven the first time she picked up a club. Her father, instead of being mad as some men may have been, took his daughter out in the backyard and showed her how to swing it properly. Against his wife's wishes, Chief Swan had a set of clubs made for her and brought his daughter out for every mixed pair event or anytime he played with someone important who wanted their wife to play as well.

Over the next thirteen years, Bella grew to become an exceptional beauty and a talented player with a poise and patience beyond her years. Playing with her father's old wooden clubs after he upgraded to the new metal shafted clubs, she continued to grow as a player.

At 20 years old, many of the girls Isabella went to school with were married now, a few of them with children. It seemed that Bella's penchant for the links had made some of her possible suitors wary, just as her mother had feared.

Yet as Bella woke up one morning in early April to play a round with her father, the mayor of Port Angeles, and his wife, her world was about to change forever. By the third hole, her new opponents were impressed, by the ninth, they were humbled. And as she retrieved her ball from the cup on the 18th hole, the mayor was in awe of her skill and already plotting. As they headed to the mixed grille for lunch, the mayor quickly began to bend the Chief's ear. After a few minutes of spirited discussion, the two men turned to Bella where she sat in conversation with her companion. It wasn't long before the mayor was calling over the club president to have Isabella Swan added to the local qualifier for the US Open.

While some were worried that her entry would make a mockery, others were thrilled at the positive light it would shine on the club. If she lost, they'd still be seen as open-minded for letting her compete, but if she won, then they could tout her as the club's own diamond in the _rough_.

Setting out for the local qualifier, which was only six people, she quickly placed herself at the head of the pack, and by the end of 18 holes would be going on to Tacoma for the 36-hole sectional qualifier.

With her father on her bag, Bella made a fine showing in Tacoma against much stiffer competition, and a less welcome reception. Bella had no thoughts beyond this day of golf though and pulled out a surprising victory on the final hole.

Yet winning the qualifiers and being eligible to compete in the US Open wasn't her hardest battle, that one was fought at the dinner table over the passing days and weeks.

_"Charles, this has gone on long enough! Isabella is already 20 years old. She needs to settle down, and she won't be able to do that if any potential husbands are scared off by her lack of propriety."_

_"She isn't the only woman out there Renee, far from it!" Her father fired back in anger._

_"Yes, but they are married and play along with their husbands for a few holes and then ride in the cart or return to the clubhouse and play cards, they don't beat their husbands and claim the trophy."_

_"Your daughter has a chance to make history, doesn't that make you proud?"_

_Renee looked at her daughter and her features hardened. "No. It makes me mourn the loss of the grandchildren that I may now never see."_

_"What if I made you a promise?" Isabella stood from her spot at the end of the table where she had been peeling potatoes for dinner. "What if my final shot at the US Open was the last time I touched a club until my husband invited me to play with him? Would you give me your blessing then?"_

_Her mother leveled her eyes to her daughter, ignoring her husband's shocked expression. "A lady isn't much without her word, Isabella."_

_Squaring her shoulders, Bella sat the knife on the table. "Then it's a good thing I intend on keeping it."_

_Renee walked over to Isabella and took the pot of potatoes from her. "I won't speak another word against it, Charles you can have them send the telegram." As she left the room, Charles turned to his daughter._

_"How could you make such a promise?"_

_"If I win, I could never make a living from it, and if I lose I'd be reminded of exactly how that felt every time I played…how close I'd come to greatness. I play the game because I love it, so why go on after something has taken the loving out of it?"_

The conductor called out, alerting her that the next stop was Rochester, NY, her destination. The train pulled into the station at 7:30 on Wednesday morning, making Isabella one of the last competitors to arrive before the party to officially begin the tournament that evening. Bella stepped onto the platform and made her way to where she had been instructed to get her luggage, but was stopped almost immediately.

"Miss Swan?" Bella looked up in the direction the voice had come from and saw a man in his early thirties staring at her.

"Yes, I'm Isabella Swan. And you are…?"

"Mr. Jenks, I'm here on behalf of the Tournament Committee. It's my job to welcome you to Rochester, take you to the clubhouse, and then to your accommodations."

Bella smiled at the nervous man and began following him to the baggage area where they picked up her luggage and clubs.

On the ride to Beech Knoll Country Club, Bella got a brief glimpse of the middle class neighborhood as Mr. Jenks skirted it before heading through the more well-to-do and roundabout route, until they pulled up the long lane leading to the gorgeous, Tudor-styled clubhouse.

Isabella looked up in awe as she was ushered into the front entrance and then down a long hallway to the left that led to the locker rooms. After passing the large men's locker room, Mr. Jenks stopped in front of the ladies' locker room and knocked on the door. The door opened, and an African American man with short hair and a genuine smile stood in the doorway. "Miss Swan, my name is Laurent Jones and I'm the locker room attendant. I'm in charge of both the men's facilities as well as yours, so we'll be seeing a lot of each other over the next few days. How about I give you a tour?"

"Laurent, would you mind showing her to the accommodations provided for her by the Committee when you're done, I have to check with the arrangements for tonight or the president will have my head."

"Sure, Mr. Jenks, you go tend to the party." Laurent smiled and turned to Isabella. "Don't be afraid child, I won't bite."

The slight twang as he referred to her as 'child' alerted her to the probability that he had been born down South, which brought her some relief as she felt that his hospitality might not be put on. "Thank you, Laurent."

He took the package of information from her and escorted her into the main room. "You won't have any company in this room over the weekend as the club is closed for the event. No man is allowed to enter here besides club staff, and all must knock and announce themselves first. My room is in the back here," he led Bella to a small room with a bi-fold doors that shielded the view of the locker room where there was a shelf and a window with a shutter hanging over it.

"If you need anything from me, you knock and open the shutter on your side, and when I'm ready I'll open mine. They're strict about me opening both of my shutters at once, so you don't have to worry about what any of the men might see. Now, the caddie yard is at the end of this row, past the equipment rooms and the pro shop, if any of those boys try to give you trouble or sneak in here, you let me know and I'll have them banned from the club. Other than that, here's your locker, and your lock," Laurent motioned towards the open locker beside him and handed her a lock with the key still in the cylinder, "you can put any of the toiletries or necessities you would like to keep in here along with your clubs and then I'll show you to the…" Laurent looked at the key he had plucked from the folder and shook his head. "Damn King and his games."

Bella's brow furrowed, unsure of what had caused the change in Laurent's demeanor. "Is there something wrong?"

"Nothing you need to worry yourself with. It seems that instead of staying at the King Hotel, which sits to the right of the club grounds like the other competitors; you are being housed in one of the small cottages on the grounds. They're usually reserved for upper staff or visitors that cannot afford other lodging. Don't let them into your head, Miss. The King Hotel is owned by Mr. King, his son Royce is one of the other entrants in the Open and they'll do what they can to make this week difficult without being overt about it. This is a boys' club and you won't find the same support you did at home."

Bella nodded and smiled. "I didn't find much support at home either. If my father hadn't been Chief, I don't believe they would have accepted me so openly. And please, call me Bella."

Laurent shook his head, and looked at the paperwork again. "Okay Bella, here is your official USGA rule booklet and information on the US Open at Beech Knoll. Which would you rather do first, get yourself set up in the cottage or find yourself a caddie?"

Bella looked shocked at him before reigning in her expression. "How did you know…?"

"You didn't come in with anyone and you haven't mentioned your caddie."

Bella looked down. "My father couldn't make the trip. He caddied for me in the qualifiers. How about we take care of that first, that way I can relax when you take me down there."

"Very well, have you eaten lunch yet?"

"No."

Laurent smiled and pulled out one last page. "Here's the lunch menu for the mixed grille, how about you pick something and I'll put in the order while you clean up from the long trip and I'll bring it to the window. Once you're done we'll head out to the yard."

"Thank you, Laurent. I have a feeling you may be the only friend I have in New York."

"I'm sure you'll charm the lot of them in your time here."

Bella smiled and picked out a half sandwich and soup cup for lunch and then Laurent left her be. Isabella went to the bathroom and washed the grime from travel off and changed into a long pleated blue skirt and a frilly cap sleeved shirt. Brushing her hair and fixing it into a ponytail, she answered the knock at Laurent's window to take her lunch and eat it before meeting the caddies.

A little while later, Laurent escorted her to the caddie yard where several young men sat lounging around. Taking one look at Isabella, they straightened up and a whistle escaped the crowd. "Watch it, Michael. All right, any of you who are still looking to caddie in the Open, Miss Swan is still in need of one."

The guys all looked around, avoiding her eyes as Laurent sighed. Isabella turned to him and asked, "Where's the driving range, Laurent?"

He looked out to the left just past the 18th hole. She followed his eyes and nodded, heading inside to get her clubs. Coming out a minute later, she walked from the side entrance of the pro shop, not even acknowledging the crowd as she continued to the range and teed up. Swinging the club, she sent the ball flying just past the two-hundred yard marker. Teeing up again, she hit four more shots as Edward Cullen walked around the building and saw her shot land as he reached the other caddies. "Who is that?"

"The woman, she's looking for a caddie." Eric spoke as Edward continued towards the driving range, stopping about five feet behind her and off to the right, so she could see him without interrupting her.

Finishing her sixth shot, Bella lowered her club and turned to Edward. "Can I help you?"

Edward smiled at her, recognizing that the sass was probably how she had survived playing the sport for this long. "It was smart to use a local caddie, because their knowledge of the course will work to your advantage."

Isabella eyed the gorgeous man standing behind her and raised her eyebrow at him. "Thank you for the complement, but it seems none of the boys will carry for me. They're probably worried about the affect it will have on their income after I return home to Washington."

"I think I can survive it." Bella turned to see Edward smiling at her in a way that made her slightly uncomfortable, not because of his actions, but because of the emotions it awoke in her.

Bella smiled and extended her hand to him. "You're hired. Now do you have time to take me around the course before tonight? We would have to set out now."

Edward looked behind him and nodded. "Sure. Let's set out now while the men are still enjoying their lunch."

Edward picked up her bag and threw it onto his back as they set out towards the first tee. Over the next three hours, Edward let Isabella get a feel for the course without interfering, wanting to let her try it without any influence, knowing that tomorrow she would expect his opinion based on her performance today.

He was impressed by her ability to read some of the holes, while there were a few that gave her trouble, but for someone who had never played the course before, it was a fine showing. Reaching the end of the course, he took her putter as she stepped off the green. "So, how shocked were you by my play?"

Edward smiled and looked down. "Impressed would be a better word. If you can keep your nerves under control and listen to some of my suggestions as you play through, you'll be fine. Just don't listen to the men; they're going to start on you as soon as possible."

Bella laughed and continued towards the clubhouse. "Believe me, they've already tried."

Taking her clubs from him, she entered the clubhouse and returned to the locker room. Knocking on the window, Laurent answered after a few minutes and then brought her to the cottage, which was through a small path in the woods. Arriving there with her luggage, Laurent helped her inside and then disappeared to finish his preparations for the following day. Once inside, Bella set out to unpack so she could pick out her dress for that evening and then head into the bathroom to get ready.

The bathroom was small, but would serve her purpose as she quickly bathed and then towel dried her hair before setting it in curlers and sprayed it, hoping it would set in time to style.

Moving around the small cottage, she placed the few personal items she had brought with her around the main room, finished putting her clothes away, and then tried to relax.

Around 6pm, she took her hair down and pinned the sides back letting the curls fall down her back as she fussed with a few of the pin curls that framed her face. Doing her makeup, she didn't do her eyes quite as dramatic as the current style, but still looking fashionable, and then applied her red lipstick and slipped into her black and blue plaid dress. Putting on her golf shoes, she checked her appearance in the mirror and then headed over to the clubhouse, opting to carry her heels for the night so they wouldn't get dirty on the walk over. Making a quick stop to the locker room to change and drop off her golf shoes, she reemerged and walked towards the main entryway.

Walking through the lobby, Mr. Jenks found her and showed her into the ballroom. There were plenty of women around the room, but a majority of them were on the arms of players she knew well from watching the previous year's US Open with her father.

As the room continued to fill, a man took the stage and called everyone to attention. "May I have your attention, please? My name is Robert Green and I'm the club president here at Beech Knoll. I'd like to welcome you to the 1956 U.S. Open. This year's event looks to be one for the history books as we have in our company Liam O'Hare making his first trip to America from his native Ireland, as well as the Volturi brothers who have come in hopes of bringing the trophy back to England this year. Standing in their way are two of the tour's southern veterans, Emmett McCarthy and Garrett Logan, the newly professional Alec Jacobs, Rochester's own Royce King, and the first woman to ever compete in a men's tournament, Isabella Swan."

The moment her name was announced, the eyes of the room focused on her and she felt her nerves take over. She was unaccustomed to social situations like this where there wasn't a single friend in the room. Her smile never betrayed her feelings as she bowed her head slightly to the people who acknowledged her and then worked to fade back into the paneled walls and enjoy the evening as best she could.

After a short while, Isabella heard a throat clear behind her. She turned to see two men standing behind her, each with a beautiful woman by his side. "Miss Swan, I just wanted to come over and introduce myself as we'll be spending a significant amount of time together tomorrow. My name is Emmett McCarthy, and this vision is my wife, Rosalie."

Bella smiled and took the hand he offered. "I hadn't checked to see how the pairing had worked out, but it will be an honor playing with you. My father and I watched both of you compete last year and it will be wonderful to see it in person."

"Someone who plays for the genuine love of the sport, that's rare at this level, but you seem to be here to break many of the sport's previous preconceptions. It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Swan. You seem to have a knowledge of who I am, but let me introduce you to my Katie." Bella smiled at Garrett and his wife before a scoff drew all their attention to the spot where Alec Jacobs stood with his twin sister, Jane.

Katie narrowed her eyes at the pair and they soon turned and departed. "Good luck tomorrow, Miss Swan, with this crowd you'll need it."

Isabella was unsure if the comment was genuine or a dig at her, but brushed it aside as Mr. Jenks claimed her so she could meet Mr. Green.

Soon the food began to thin out around the room and more people took to the floor to dance as, once again, Isabella hung back. Many of the tour players made their introductions; the only one showing civility towards her was Liam O'Hare and his wife, Siobhan, who spoke to Isabella for nearly fifteen minutes of light-hearted conversation before her husband claimed her for a dance.

The Volturi brothers, Aro and Caius, were as different in personality as they were in appearance. While Caius scowled at her from a distance, Aro came right over to her and clasped her hand, talking to her about how wonderful he thought it was that she was competing and how quaint the American people were for regarding women in such a way as to let her compete. Aro's presence only tensed Isabella more as Siobhan swooped in to claim her as Liam did the same of Aro.

It was at this point that another piranha approached Bella. "Miss Swan, my name is James Hunt. I'm a reporter for the Rochester Post. Would you mind giving me a few moments of your time?"

"I'm sorry, but I make it a rule to focus solely on the following days rounds and not discuss it with the press." Mr. Hunt didn't give up easily, but as Isabella offered nothing, he soon he chose a different target to focus in on.

A little while later, Isabella had made her way to the facilities when she overheard two young women discussing her by the vanity area.

"I cannot believe she actually believes she could compete with them. There's no way she could hit the ball as far as _Royce_."

The second voice squeaked a laugh and then continued on to chide her friend. "She isn't here to compete, Jessica, she's here to land herself a rich husband. Unfortunately for her, none of them will look at her as anything but a little girl trying to play a man's game. A woman's place is in the gallery, not on the green."

The two laughed as Isabella walked out of the stall and over to the free sink, washing her hands as the stunned girls looked on. "You should check to see who else is in the room before you start talking about someone."

The words barely escaped Bella's mouth before one of the tears she fought to keep at bay fell. Reining them in, she exited the bathroom and was confronted by Royce King as he stood outside the bathroom door. "Being invited doesn't mean you belong, Miss Swan. It would serve you better to withdraw now. If you did, I might even save a dance for you at the party celebrating my victory after the final round tomorrow night."

The way he sneered her name made the hairs on her neck stand up as she backed away from him. "You assume too much, King. Not even the weather is certain as there seems to be a storm on the horizon."

Turning to get out of there before anyone else could rattle her further, Isabella walked briskly through the lobby and down the long corridor, exiting near the pro shop and into the chilly June night without a coat. She moved quickly as she heard a voice call out behind her, not recognizing it until it's owner grabbed her arm and she spun to see who it was.

"Are you all right?" Edward's brow was marked with his concern as she took a breath and relaxed slightly.

"I was just trying to escape the boys' club as the general theme of 'you don't belong' was made pretty well known with only a few exceptions. I expected it from the men, but the women were almost worse."

Isabella shivered and Edward frowned at her. "Where's your wrap or sweater?"

Bella blushed at the slight scolding in his voice. "It was still warm when I left so I didn't bring one."

Edward shrugged out of his coat and placed it around her shoulders as he motioned towards the path that led to the hotel, but Isabella shook her head. "I'm staying in one of the cottages."

Edward was annoyed at the pettiness of the King's, but continued guiding her along the path. "This one is better lit at night and it will fork to the left and bring you to the woods near the hotel where the cottages are just the same. If you are returning to the cottages at night, take this path, and try to have someone you trust walk you home."

"Well then, if you're around, I'll simply ask you." Isabella blushed further at her admission about a man she barely knew, but he was filled with pride at her comment.

"I'd be happy to escort you home." As they reached the fork, they continued on to her cottage. Isabella walked over to a rock in the garden and turned it over, picking up the key to the cottage. "You shouldn't do that, this isn't a small town in Washington, you know."

Bella laughed as she unlocked the door. "That isn't _my_ key; Laurent told me that they keep the spare in the garden. I only used it because I didn't bring a purse tonight. Thank you for walking me home, Edward. I'll see you in the morning."

"Goodnight, Miss Sw-"

"Bella, when we're away from unfriendly ears you can call me by my given name."

Edward laughed and nodded. "Sweet dreams, Bella." As he took his coat back and turned to walk back to the clubhouse and fetch his bike, Edward felt a tightening in his chest as he rode further away from the course and his pro.

Meanwhile, as Isabella prepared for bed and climbed under the covers, her mind was not on the 36 holes she'd be playing for the opportunity to make the cut and compete on Friday, but instead on the young man that had walked her home.

**A/N : By the way, the title for this story is an urban legend born out of the "boys club" mentality.**

**Terms:**

** Mixed Grille - In clubhouses, they tend to have two dining rooms, a men's grille where men are the only people allowed within the four walls, and the mixed grille where women and children are allowed to eat. Part of my summer at the CC, I waitressed in the mixed grille and I couldn't cross the threshold into the men's grille, but instead had to call through a tiny window and wait for someone to come and get the drinks for my customers because the bar was on that side and that was my only way to serve drinks to my diners. This will come into play even more later, but I used the term a few times so I wanted to explain it now.**


	2. The Start of Something

**Huge shout out to my beta A Cullen Wannabe for her awesomeness in spite of a very hectic weekend!**

**Okay, here's the latest from 1956. I'm having fun using one of my favorite courses as the model for this story and doing all the research on this very interesting time. Also, Edward's past is a 'wink, wink-nod, nod' to one of my favorite shows of all time…you'll see. And now for some golf stuff up front, so you won't be jumping down to the end. When players are referenced during the golf rounds, they are traditionally referred to by their last name only, with the exceptions of amateurs, like Bella, who are referred to as Mr. or in this case, Miss. So you don't get confused, here's the full list of the important characters:**

**Jacobs – Alec**  
** Logan - Garrett**  
** Miss Swan – Isabella**  
** McCarthy – Emmett**  
** O'Hare – Liam**  
** A. Volturi - Aro**  
** King - Royce**  
** C. Volturi – Caius**

**I know most of them are easy, but there are a few that I made up names for so I wanted to give you the cheat sheet. Any random last names not above are players who are fabricated simply to fill out the threesomes as we follow them and will have no real affect on the outcome of the rounds. You won't be following their play so much as acknowledging their presence. And finally, scoring goes as followed:**

**Eagle – 2 under par**  
** Birdie – 1 under par**  
** Par – The score set for the hole**  
** Bogey – One over par**  
** Double Bogey – Two over par (and so forth…)**

**Thanks again and please leave some love!**

Isabella woke up Thursday morning and began the arduous task of getting herself ready for her debut into the world of professional golf. The propriety that comes along with being female, no matter how the younger girls may rebel against it, meant that she was up much earlier than her male competitors as she pinned the sides of her hair back, leaving the rest down. She did this knowing that by the afternoon she would be forced to put her hair into a bun to keep her from looking wild. Doing a minimal amount of makeup, Bella prepared a quick breakfast from the provisions in her small icebox and the pantry that stood near the stove.

As she ate her meal, she looked around the cottage and found herself grateful to be removed from the people who had been so harsh the day before.

Dressing for the heat that was forecasted for the early round, she picked out a warmer top for her afternoon attire. Looking herself over once more, she was startled by the knock at the door, not having remembered any mention of someone coming to meet her this morning. Cracking it slightly, she smiled at the sight of Edward and opened the door wider to greet him. "Good morning, Edward. I hadn't expected to see anyone this early."

Edward's face fell as he began to ramble. "I'm sorry Miss-, Bella, but you had mentioned me escorting you while you were here and I wasn't sure-"

Bella reached out and touched his shoulder, silencing him as she began to speak. "Edward, it's all right. I just thought I might have forgotten something from the rulebook and you were here because I was late for some pre-round event." She looked at the package in his hand and then back at his face, which was still downcast. "What's in the package?"

Edward looked up at her and smiled handing it to her as he spoke. "I wasn't sure how much food you had here, so I thought I'd bring you a loaf of bread and some fruit."

Isabella's face broke into the most brilliant smile that had ever graced her features as she peeked into the package. "Thank you, they did provide me with food, but this was very thoughtful. You didn't have to put yourself out like that, though. Would you come in for a minute while I put them away?"

Edward walked past her and looked around quickly before taking a seat as she placed the fruit in a bowl on the small dining table and then sat the loaf in the pantry. "It was really no problem, my father owns the local grocery store. I simply asked if I could bring you the food and he was happy to allow me to do so. In fact, my parents wanted me to ask you if you'd be interested in joining us for dinner."

Isabella turned to him and smiled. "Is it far? I wouldn't want you to have a long drive home afterwards."

Edward smiled and shook his head. "We live in Pittsford. Technically the golf course in on the border between us and Rochester, but they claim it. Our family grocery store is on Monroe Avenue, which runs along the edge of the Club, and our house is a few blocks past it. It really isn't any trouble and my sister is dying to meet you."

Bella blushed slightly and peered at Edward through her lashes. "Your sister? What could she possibly find interesting about me?"

Edward barked a laugh and then covered his mouth in an act of contrition. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to laugh at you. My sister is 17 and is completely in awe of the fact that you have broken into the world of golf. She doesn't understand why I waste my time with it, but she's so happy for it this week. She's convinced you're going to take the whole tournament and her 'by the book' brother will finally have done something right…besides bringing his war buddy home to fall in love with her, that is."

"You fought in Korea?" Isabella couldn't believe that the young man before her had seen battle in that war; he seemed too young to have been there.

"I didn't fight. I was drafted in 1951 and assigned to a MASH unit, that's a mobile hospital. I was lucky enough to be made their company clerk. It was a hell of a job for an 18 year old, but I was lucky. The clerk of one of the nearby MASH's and I became good friends. You have to be persuasive, or at the very least charming, to be good at that job, and Jasper and I both were. So when the war ended, he came to stay with us for a while until he could get on his feet. While he was there, he fell for my sister, so he took the money he'd saved as a cop and moved into the apartment over the store, knowing it would help out my father to have the place rented, and also not wanting to do anything that might hurt Alice's reputation. She was only 14 and he'd never tried anything, but you don't want to tempt fate. So after she turned 16 and he'd made his own way, he asked if he could take her out. He proposed on her 17th birthday and she is madder than anything that everyone is insisting she wait until she's 18 to get married. She listens to too much rock n' roll for my taste, and I'm just glad that it's Jasper she fell for, otherwise I'd be playing the 'older brother that survived a war' card with any snot that showed up at the door."

Bella laughed at Edward, recognizing a little of her father in him. "Big brother Cullen, it's a sweet picture, and it is obvious you love your sister very much." She looked at the clock on the wall and then sighed. "We should head off, if we're going to get there in time for me to unwind a bit in the locker room."

Edward stood up and offered to take her garment bag, which she readily gave him. "Just do me two favors and today will go a lot smoother. Don't look at the leaderboard, and try not to listen to the men. I will do my best to keep you focused and well informed, but I can't help you if you let them into your head completely."

Bella nodded and locked up; sticking the key in the bag of toiletries she would be keeping in her locker, mainly to appease Edward. Walking out of the woods, they made the turn onto the path that led to the clubhouse. Handing Bella her things, he let her go inside to prepare as he set out to check in at the caddie yard and see his own competition. He was surprised to see Jacob Black dressed well and leaning against the side of the clubhouse. "Jacob, I didn't' think you secured a loop. Whose bag are you on?"

"I caught King last night; he had a fight with Lonnie and told him to get lost. I was the only one here so he told me to show up if I wanted to make some money. You're really carrying for the woman?"

Edward narrowed his eyes at him. "Yes, I'm caddying for Miss Swan."

Jacob shrunk slightly at his stare. "Don't get me wrong, she can hit a ball, but I'd rather watch her play with my club than the-"

Edward flew forward, but managed to keep his anger in control as his finger came in contact with Jacob's chest. "You watch how you talk about my pro. She's still a lady and a competitor in this tournament and I won't allow you to disrespect her."

Jacob's hands flew up in surrender as Edward backed up and turned towards the exit of the club that led to the first hole, so he could claim Miss Swan's clubs as soon as she emerged.

When that time came, she walked out along with the other five competitors of the first two threesomes. Edward stepped up to take her bag and watched as the other men, Alec Jacobs included, stared in shock as Garrett approached Isabella. "Good luck out there today, Miss Swan."

"You too, Logan. We'll be right behind you."

Emmett McCarthy laughed from his place beside her as he leaned in slightly. "Ready to ruin a good walk?"

"Hopefully more so for some rather than myself, but yes, I'm ready for this day to begin."

McCarthy smiled at her as Jacobs, Logan, and Cole stepped up to the tee box. Edward and Isabella watched as they took decent shots at the dogleg to the right and as Cole took his third shot, McCarthy stepped up to the tee. Taking his driver between his massive hands, he blew the ball clear of the other players and then stood back for a moment before following his caddie to where his ball had landed.

O'Hare teed up next, hitting a beautiful first shot and clearing the way for the first shot of Miss Swan. She exhaled as she took her club from Edward, doing her best to ignore the camera that was now focused on her at the tee, or the quiet muttering of James Hunt, who was still with the crowd that had hung back to watch her shot. Addressing the ball, she took her first shot and a roar erupted as it flew 165 yards down the fairway, landing squarely in the center of the turn, giving her perfect placement for the approach to the green.

The next few holes progressed for Miss Swan in similar fashion. The first groan of the morning was heard as Logan hit into the rough on 2, earning himself a bogey, but was not outmatched by A. Volturi, whose poor putting on the same hole earned him a five as well. Hearing the players in the group ahead and the groups behind her missing shots bolstered Isabella's confidence, while she still managed to be patient and pay attention to the shot she was about to take.

Making it through the first three holes without breaking par was quite an accomplishment, but the 4th hole set out to break some hearts. Jacobs flew well past the green on his third shot and wasn't able to do better than a seven, earning the first double bogey of the morning. Logan didn't do much better earning a bogey six, as did McCarthy and Miss Swan, leaving O'Hare as the only player in their group to earn a five.

In the groups behind them A. Volturi parred the hole, as did his brother in the following group, with King earning one of the few birdies on the hole.

The course's signature hole, number 5, with its well bunkered, uphill green and a bend that made the thin fairway hard to play, got the best of many of the early players, leaving only King and McCarthy with the distinction of earning par at this hole.

Making the approach to 6, Edward slowed Isabella down to give her a little pep talk. "Shake it off. This is a tough course to get a handle on, but look at Jacobs; he's letting it get to him. Ever since the double bogey, he's not taking the time to set up his shots and he's ignoring his caddie's advice. Hang back on this one a bit, that way you can see the green from your second shot and you don't land yourself in trouble-"

"Shit!" The curse slipped from Jacobs' mouth and caused the threesome behind him to look up in time to see his ball get lost in the rough.

"Like Jacobs' just did." Edward finished his sentence and then hung back with Isabella as McCarthy and O'Hare took their tee shots. McCarthy managed to hit the ball to 160 yards, putting himself in a good lie for his second shot as O'Hare called "fore" thoroughly scaring Jacobs where he was still searching for his ball. Jacobs took his second shot as Miss Swan stepped up to take her first. Listening to Edward's advice, she hit the ball a solid 170 yards, placing herself in an even better position than McCarthy as O'Hare searched for his ball and they set up their second shots. Their second shots landed both McCarthy and Miss Swan on the green and after putts from 15 feet and 20 feet respectively; they walked away with their first birdies of the round while O'Hare recorded his second bogey.

The par five 7th hole was another difficult one with bunkers in the fairway requiring a long shot, or a great deal of luck if you landed in one of the sand traps. Jacobs managed to avoid the bunkers, but missed an easy putt to once again card a bogey. In her own group, O'Hare landed in the bunker and even with a masterful second shot out of bunker, had over 220 yards for his third shot. Walking away with another bogey, there was no consolation in the fact that A. Volturi ignored his brother-in-law Marcus, who was his caddie, and replicated his play of the hole, earning a bogey of his own.

The 8th hole, whose water hazard had intimidated Isabella when she first saw it the previous day, held nothing over her today as she hit the ball calmly with her trademark fairway wood shot onto the back of the green. Learning the lesson of just how severely the front of the green slopes towards the water, she 2-putted the hole, earning the only par in the first four groups.

Approaching the final hole in the front nine, many of the spectators hung back to watch the female hit shots that some of the men who had been professionals in the sports since she was in grade school couldn't make.

Through 9 holes King was in the lead with a score of 1 under par, while Miss Swan and McCarthy were tied at plus 1 and C. Volturi was one behind them at 2 over. There was a three way tie at plus 4 for Logan, A. Volturi and O'Hare with Jacobs rounding out the most followed players with a poor plus 7.

As Miss Swan hit her third shot on 10, she heard the roar that alerted her to King making a birdie on the 9th hole.

Progressing down the back nine, O'Hare was able to make a birdie on 10, McCarthy carded a three on the par 4 11th, and Miss Swan recorded yet another par at 12 as she hit it up onto the green from 60 yards and then tapped it into the hole.

A. Volturi made a birdie at the par five 13th and his brother followed with a birdie on 14, as did Jacobs, who saw his only birdie for the round on that hole.

From the tee at 15, the uphill hole which played nearly 30 yards longer than it was and had many places that landing your ball there would be considered jail, proved daunting.

Miss Swan couldn't reach the green in regulation, but managed to make a six footer to save bogey 5. The entire threesome ahead of her had bogeyed as well, as did her own, with A. Volturi making par before King landed himself in the bunker to earn a bogey. Meanwhile, C. Volturi drove his ball wildly left into the deep rough, making it back to the fairway on his next shot, only to miss the green and double bogey the hole.

Nerves got the better of Miss Swan as she tried to miss the bunker that guards the front of the 16th green, but then lipped out a 10 foot putt to card a bogey and go to +3 for the round so far. The men used their increased strength to bypass the front bunker as Jacobs, Logan and A. Volturi hit their shots out of the back bunker to make their pars, with O'Hare McCarthy and King all earned their pars after two-putting their shots. Once again, C. Volturi's anger flared as he missed his 8 foot putt to sink to +4 overall.

Coming up to 17, Edward once again pulled Isabella aside to consult with her. "Bella, you're still in this, it is early and you have another twenty holes to play today. Forget everything else and just play these last two holes like you did when we were alone on the course yesterday."

Nodding, she addressed the ball and glanced at Edward, who smiled before she hit a solid shot at the uphill par 3 that led to her making her third shot and claiming par.

At the final hole, the first group to start the morning cleared the final hole with pars, leaving Jacobs with a first round score of +7 while Logan sat at +5.

The second group played well as O'Hare and McCarthy were the only ones to birdie it out of the early groups as McCarthy hit past the hole, but watched as his shot rolled back and he made his 12 foot putt to finish the first round with an even par of 71. O'Hare made a 74, leaving himself within striking distance of his first US major win. Miss Swan posted a par, leaving her at +3 as well, with the other names posting similar scores. Coming off the course at +1, King was satisfied to be within one of the lead, while A. Volturi also recorded a +3 with his brother one shot behind him at +4.

Walking back to the clubhouse from the 18th green was a short distance. Isabella ducked in to clean up before going to lunch and then meeting up with Edward before the afternoon round began. Isabella took off her shoes and left them at the attendant's room window for Laurent to clean, as he knew she only had the one pair to play in and then showered, making sure not to get her hair wet.

Getting out, she fixed her hair into a bun she had perfected after seeing Audrey Hepburn wearing one. She did her makeup, slipping into a pair of heels, and heading for the mixed grille for lunch.

Walking over to grille, she noticed that it had been opened up into one large space to accommodate the number of players, but as she was about to enter, a waiter at the grille stopped her. "I'm sorry miss, you aren't allowed in here today."

"But this is the mixed grille side and the entire grille was reserved for players and I'm a player in the Open." Bella pleaded, but it was a voice from the smoke filled room that answered her.

"It was reserved for the male players in the Open, you may have found a way into the tournament, but you won't make a mockery of our clubhouse. Why don't you eat at the hotel?" Royce King sneered at her, taking another puff of his cigar.

"The hotel I wasn't good enough to stay in?" Isabella fought the traitor tears that threatened to expose just how deep the hurt went.

"King, it's a sandwich and some soup, she can eat at our table if you're worried about where she may sit." Garrett Logan commented, but Royce wouldn't budge.

"Fine, have your grille; I'll make other arrangements for the remainder of my time here." Isabella turned and vanished before Emmett and Garrett were able to follow her.

"Just because this is a gentlemen's game, doesn't mean that playing it makes you one." Emmett growled as he walked past the men who had done nothing to stand up for their fellow competitor.

"I don't know why you care so much, she won't even be here come tomorrow." Alec quipped, but Garrett spun on him.

"Did you venture a glance at the leaderboard on your way in? She stands four strokes ahead of you after that atrocious showing. You showed your age on that course while Miss Swan, who is only a year older than you, showed a grace well beyond her years. She managed to impress Emmett here, as well as O'Hare, both of whom watched her play a fine round. Perhaps you should think on that before you run your mouth right out of this tournament." With that final outburst, Emmett and Garrett both left and went to lunch at the hotel.

Meanwhile, Isabella ran to the locker room and knocked on Laurent's window. By the time he had come in from the men's locker room, Bella was reduced to tears at the embarrassment that her search for a meal had caused her. After pleading with Laurent to find Edward and bring him into the locker room, which he refused to do because of the club rules, he instead brought her into his room and went off in search of her caddie.

Finding Edward outside, he asked him for help with something and quickly escorted him to the door to his room between the locker rooms. "The men's locker room is closed until one hour before the start of the second round to give me time to clean it, so you'll have plenty of privacy. After I bring her lunch, you won't hear from me unless you need anything."

Laurent walked away and into the men's locker room as Edward stared at the door. Opening it slowly, he saw Isabella's slumped posture as she cried into her hands. Crossing the room quickly, he knelt in front of her and pulled her forearms, exposing her tear soaked face. "What happened?"

"It's stupid, I know that…but I thought that I was included…" Bella started crying again and Edward pulled her into his arms as he stood up.

"What, Bella? I'm lost here."

She caught her breath and with the exception of a few sniffles, had regained control of herself as she began to speak. "They opened up the divider in the grille, making it one large room, and it was closed except for players so I went there for lunch and-"

"They turned you away?" The anger in his voice was well masked as he thought of the ungentlemanly manner that they had treated her.

"It was worse than that. They were so cruel about trying to put me in my place. Logan and McCarthy were the only ones who stood up for me, offering to let me eat with them, but no one else budged."

Edward hugged her tighter, chancing a whiff of the strawberry essence she had left on his coat the previous evening. "Bella, they're scared of you. You're playing much better than they expected. Hell, you're playing better that most of them. They're just trying to throw you off your game; the key is not to let them." Edward thought for a minute before continuing. "I'm glad that Laurent came and got me. I'd hate to think what another hour of self doubt would have done to your second round. You have to maintain this afternoon. You're already well above the cutline, so we just have to find a groove and set yourself up for tomorrow."

"They say the rain's supposed to be bad tomorrow, it may push it into Saturday."

Edward smiled at the return of the Bella he had come to know over the past 24 hours. "Then we'll keep this going into the weekend, when is your train home?"

"Sunday, I wanted to make sure the golf would be completed so they wouldn't have to fight to switch me to a later train in case I made the cut."

Laurent arrived with Isabella's sandwich and Edward sat with her, talking strategy for the upcoming round while she ate. As she watched him talk excitedly about the shots she had made, she realized just how closely he had been watching her. She blushed in realization that, at least for her, this was beginning to grow into something far more than a caddie/player relationship and she was dreading the thought of Sunday.

**Okay all here is some of the golf stuff mentioned above. Any hole is divided into several surfaces:**

**The fairway - the shorter grass that covers a large portion of the hole.**  
** The rough - the taller grass that is harder to hit out of. **  
** The green – the very well manicured grass where the hole is.**  
** Bunker – or a sand trap, it is a hazard that is dug into the ground and filled with sand.**  
** Water Hazard – just like it sounds, it's a body of water that is in the field of play. Hitting the ball into a water hazard costs you a stroke.**

**Other terms mentioned are:**

**Dogleg – any bend in the fairway. (Usually described with the direction of the bend.)**  
** Address – the act of taking your stance at the ball.**  
** Card – a term for the score recorded, referencing the score card it would be written on.**  
** In Regulation – hitting the ball to the green within two shots of the par, 1 for a par 3, 2 for a par 4 and 3 for a par 5.**  
** Lip out – to have the ball run along the outer rim of the cup and then continue to roll out.**

**Also, you only yell "fore" as a warning if your shot may hit someone.**

**Last, if you are ever looking for pictures from this story to help explain it, the post of it on twcs has the pictures on the bottom of each chapter.  
**


	3. A Storm on the Horizon

**Thanks as always to my beta A Cullen Wannabe for speeding this back to me after I agonized over this chapter. **

**I'm keeping the golf info here just in case you want to reference it again. Also, in this chapter Edward calls Bella the next "Ouimet," which is a reference to Francis Ouimet, the first amateur to ever win the US Open. He won against incredible odds with the best golfer in the world as his competition. **

**When players are referenced during the golf rounds, they are traditionally referred to by their last name only, with the exceptions of amateurs, like Bella, who are referred to as Mr. or in this case, Miss. So you don't get confused, here's the full list of the important characters:**

**Jacobs – Alec**  
** Logan - Garrett**  
** Miss Swan – Isabella**  
** McCarthy – Emmett**  
** O'Hare – Liam**  
** A. Volturi - Aro**  
** King - Royce**  
** C. Volturi – Caius**

**I know most of them are easy, but there are a few that I made up names for so I wanted to give you the cheat sheet. Any random last names not above are players who are fabricated simply to fill out the threesomes as we follow them and will have no real affect on the outcome of the rounds. You won't be following their play so much as acknowledging their presence. And finally, scoring goes as followed:**

**Eagle – 2 under par**  
** Birdie – 1 under par**  
** Par – The score set for the hole**  
** Bogey – One over par**  
** Double Bogey – Two over par (and so forth…)**

**Also, someone asked me the ages, so Bella is 20 and Edward is 22, soon to be 23.**

Isabella cleaned herself up after her crying jag and began to steel her nerves as Edward left her be before the men returned to their locker room. It took everything within him to stand up and walk away with her, but he knew better than to cause them both trouble, which was sure to happen if he was caught in that part of the clubhouse. So instead, he went to attend to her clubs and be prepared for her when she exited the clubhouse.

After redoing her makeup to hide any trace of distress, Isabella reemerged from the locker room only to run into Emmett McCarthy and his wife in the hallway. As soon as Rosalie noticed her, she rushed to her side. "I hate to bother you so close to your start time, but would you mind if I used your locker room for a moment? I wouldn't ask if it wasn't important."

Bella smiled and gestured behind her. "Go ahead; the bathroom is the first doorway on the right."

After Rosalie disappeared behind the door, Emmett walked over to Isabella and smiled. "Thank you, Miss Swan. I tried to get my Rosie to leave you alone, but she had to use the restroom something fierce."

Bella laughed at his comment and then turned down the hall for a moment. "Thank you for earlier, and when you get a private moment with Logan thank him for me as well. You really didn't have to get into it with them over me, but I appreciate that you two don't seem to be personally affronted by my presence."

Emmett laughed. "You earned your spot on the card and proved it out there this morning. You've got Garrett by two strokes and he was still one of the first to praise your game play. Don't let those windbags get to you, many of them won't last the night."

Bella smiled again as Rosalie exited the locker room. "Thank you again, Miss Swan, and I'll see you on the course."

"You're welcome and please, Rosalie, call me Isabella."

The couple smiled and went out as Isabella let out a deep breath and followed them. Rosalie gave her husband a quick kiss and then blended in with the crowd as Isabella stepped out into the flash of the cameras and the clicking of the television reel as she passed the cameraman for NBC that would show her results as well as the other competitors for both of today's rounds later that evening.

Edward found her and escorted her to the first tee, where she could see Jacobs blow his shot at par on the opening hole. Once again, McCarthy took his tee shot first and hit it an impressive distance. O'Hare hit a similar shot and walked to follow it as Miss Swan addressed the ball with her 3 wood and was able to get a par on the first hole. As they set out to tee off on the second, they heard the moan that let them know that A. Volturi had missed his putt and was already behind one hole into the round.

Jacobs continued to show his age as he went on to miss shots that he should easily make. Logan landed his second shot on hole 2 in the bunker and it took him two shots to get out, earning his first bogey of the round. In Miss Swan's group, they all parred that hole as well.

Logan was the only one in the first three groups not able to get par on three, but behind them, C. Volturi continued to seal his own fate, following his bogey on number 2 and a double bogey on 3, leaving him now three over par. Unless a miracle occurred, both Logan and C. Volturi were out of the race for the title.

As her competitors continued to falter, Miss Swan listened to Edward's suggestions and was able to sink her putt for a birdie on the fourth hole. Coming up on the fifth hole, Jacobs hit another poor tee shot, leaving himself at + 11 for the tournament so far, wondering when he may be able to qualify for a tournament again after this showing.

After her first shot, Edward walked close behind her as they moved towards the spot where her ball had landed. "Keep it out of the sand, you'll be able to hit it onto the green close enough to make the putt. This is where Jacobs got himself in trouble on this hole."

Isabella nodded as she stepped up to her ball and did just as Edward told her, making par once again. King cursed behind them as he wasn't able to make his putt again, leaving him at even par through the first five holes.

Coming up to the par 4 sixth hole, Logan was able to right himself, as was Jacobs, knowing they were both playing now in the hopes that they could in the least maintain their score and watch some of the others falter enough to gain them a pass into the second day.

In the second group, McCarthy and O'Hare both played the hole as well as they could, but their putters tripped them up as they weren't able to do better than par. Miss Swan, however, stood close to Edward as he whispered to her. "You've already mastered this hole, just keep it up, you can do this."

Stepping up to the tee, she hit a high line that left her in excellent position for her second shot, which landed close to the hole, allowing her to tap it in for a birdie, moving her one step closer to a record round and with that, the history books.

Over the next two holes, the competitors showed the game play that got them onto the Tour as they all parred numbers 7 and 8. Hole 9 had King displaying the advantage of playing on his home course as his first two shots landed him within 8 feet of the hole, earning him the only birdie for the big name players on the hole.

With another two holes being parred by the field of players, Miss Swan was the low scorer of the round currently at two under par, with King one shot behind at one under. McCarthy and O'Hare were both even parred through 11 holes, with A. Volturi at one over and C. Volturi, Logan, and Jacobs all sitting at four over for the second round.

As the first group made their way onto the 12th green, Jacobs found himself continuing the long run of pars, now aiming to save face and thinking ahead to the next tournament's qualification. Logan tapped his putt beyond the hole for bogey as did O'Hare while McCarthy and Miss Swan saved par. The affect the wind of the approaching storm that was forecasted for tomorrow's rounds was already being felt, making the par four elusive for the players in the later groups. The 13th hole was another one where the wind came into play, and King was the only one to earn a birdie on the hole as they approached the final five holes before the cut would occur.

After a routine 14th hole, the impressive streak of pars for Jacobs came to an end as he bogeyed the hole 15 along with Logan, who couldn't seem to master the narrow fairways as he hit another shot into the rough.

In Isabella's group, McCarthy hit the wrong side of the green and then missed his first two putts saving a bogey as he tapped in the third. Miss Swan's second shot landed in the bunker by the hole and the wind picked up again, sending her skirt flying. Fighting to keep from giving the nation a show as the cameras continued to roll film, Edward came up to calm her but she snapped, a little curt due to her current predicament. "Edward, I'm not upset about the bunker! Just stand behind me and block the wind."

Edward's brow furrowed, but he did as she asked a second before she pulled a few of the pins out of her hair and bent down in front of him, working on her skirt. Her rear brushed his crotch as she moved back and forth, using two bobby pins on each side of the skirt, giving her enough room to move to continue playing, while restricting the fabric so it could no longer blow up.

Edward held in the feelings the position they were in evoked, and instead calculated yardages and wind speed for the remaining holes, hoping to distract himself from what was now obviously more than a professional relationship for the caddie.

Standing back up, Miss Swan squared her shoulders and hit the ball out of the bunker, but the fear of hitting it past the hole and rolling back off the green caused her to come up short, earning a bogey as well, while O'Hare earned a par. In the group behind them, A. Volturi continued to get himself into position to be a threat tomorrow.

Approaching 16, the wind carried McCarthy's shot into the high rough, eliminating his chance at par as he had to hit a short second shot to get himself in position to reach the green at all. O'Hare continued to live up to his reputation and made the birdie that pushed him closer to his chance at taking the trophy back to Ireland.

Edward hung back as Miss Swan deftly parred the hole showing the type of play that had helped her make it this far. A. Volturi bogeyed when he too found the bunker thanks to the wind that whipped through after his second shot.

Walking up to 17, the groan that seemed to always precede them was heard again as Logan was the one to bogey this time, cementing his place below the cut line. O'Hare hit the ball beyond the green and into the sand trap that resided there, making a quick shot out and then two putting for a bogey. McCarthy and Miss Swan parred 17, as did King, while A. Volturi hit one of the best shots of the day off the tee, knocking in the ten foot putt as his brother followed with another bogey, a growl slipping through his lips in an attempt to hold in any foul language.

The final hole wasn't able to shake the standings, and as the final golfers came off the course, little would change for the early birds as King held the top spot on the leaderboard with a score of one under par for the round and was at even par for the tournament. Tied for second were Miss Swan and McCarthy both at +2 for the tournament after her second round score of one under and his two over par for the afternoon round. A. Volturi was also even par with a two round total of three over. O'Hare also kept his footing with a score of one over for the second round and four over overall. With the cut line at +7 for the tournament; C. Volturi, Logan and Jacobs had all played their final shots of the open with tournament totals of +10, +12, and +13 respectively.

As soon as the flashbulbs woke her from her stupor, Isabella fled for the security of the clubhouse, knowing that Edward would meet her as he had this afternoon as soon as he was able. Ducking into the locker room, she realized that there was no point in showering here as she would only have to change back into her sweaty clothes to return to her cottage to get ready to go to dinner with Edward's family. Unpinning her skirt, she cleaned up her face and then heard the knock on her window. Running to it, she was disappointed to see Laurent until he told her that with the men using their locker room, he made it look as though Edward was helping him with the laundry hamper so as to sneak him in there. Directing her to the door next to the locker room, she ducked out and then into the darkened room.

Reaching above her for the string, she pulled and the room filled with a dim light as she called out. "Edward?" She spoke in a hushed tone as the running of several washing machines helped to disguise her voice.

"Bella." He came around from behind the hamper he had hidden near and she ran to him allowing him to sweep her into his arms. Spinning her around, he finally sat her on her feet and was pleasantly surprised when her lips briefly came in contact with his. She pulled back, the coloring of her cheeks darkened to a deep red as her eyes flashed to the floor, but soon Edward pulled her close again and kissed her in earnest.

Breaking away a moment later, he smiled as the words poured out of his mouth. "Bella, you were phenomenal out there this afternoon. You had the lowest score of the round! Just think, if you wanted, you could join the Tour and compete full time. You'd have to start out slower at first, maybe only play in a few of the lesser tournaments on the Tour and then add to it from there. Bella we could work so well together and-"

Bella placed her hand on his mouth, relishing in the feel of his lips on her fingertips as she began to speak. "Edward, I'm not playing professionally. No matter what happens out there tomorrow, my final putt here will be the last I ever take."

Edward recoiled from her as though he'd been burned. "You're going to quit? Just like that. No regret, no real thought behind it-" Edward's voice rose as he spoke but once again, Bella interrupted him.

"There was plenty of thought behind it. I made this promise to my mother before ever leaving Washington. It was the only way she would give me her blessing, and everything I've endured since my arrival has only proven my mother right. There's no place for a woman in this game, unless it's beside her husband."

"I can't believe you're saying this. This isn't like you. You've fought so hard today and you proved yourself better than 72 of the men that started out by tying for second. You were born to play this sport."

"No. I started playing because it was something I could do with my father, and then I continued for the love of it, but between the fighting, the embarrassment, and the evening edition of the Rochester Post with the headline reading 'The Belle of Beech Knoll.' This is too much; the fun has been taken out of it."

Edward lost it in that moment as he had been unprepared for what he had heard up to this point. "That right there is why women shouldn't play! Golf is supposed to be that thing that you have to do, no matter what. You can't give it up, it's too important."

"Important? It's only a game, Edward. And this game has ruined more than a good walk. I'm a laughing stock, do you understand that? I'm a joke. How am I supposed to find a husband if-?"

"A husband? Is that really what's most important to you? I thought you were different. I thought you and I were the same."

"We can never be the same, Edward! If you choose never to marry, then fine, you get a job and go on living. I don't have that option. I cannot earn a living wage and keep my dignity. Besides, the things I desire most…love, security, children…they require a second person."

Edward stared at the hardened face of the only woman he had opened his heart to, feeling it splinter in his chest. "That's a cop out. It got too hard so you're giving up."

Bella narrowed her eyes at him. "I never said I was giving up. I'll still play my hardest, but that doesn't change my decision."

Edward shook his head. "I'm never going to get another loop at this club again."

"Then why'd you pick me?" Isabella asked before the thought registered in her mind.

"Because I thought you'd be the next Ouimet, and I wanted to be there with you."

"I'm sorry I didn't live up to your expectations, but I'll save you the shame of being on my bag."

Edward looked up and had to make sure he'd heard her correctly. "What?"

Isabella squared her shoulders and backed towards the door. "You're fired."

Fleeing the room, before he could follow, she ran into the locker room. She made it just before the tears fell, only to be startled by a familiar voice.

"Isabella?" Bella looked up to see Rosalie and Kate standing in the middle of the locker room looking concerned. "What did those jackasses do now?"

Bella tried to catch her breath, but only managed to get the words out between sobs. "It wasn't…them…Edward…got mad…fired…I don't…I can't…"

Rosalie ran into the bathroom as Kate sat next to her and pulled her closer. The sound of the shower running threw Bella off, but she saw Rosalie return with a smile. "That way no one comes in here to bother us. Now what happened?"

Isabella took a deep breath and started again. "I got in a fight with my caddie. He was congratulating me on how well I'd done and how this could be the beginning for me, but then I told him that I wasn't going to continue to play and he got so angry. He said I was quitting and that I was why women shouldn't play golf. I was so mad at him that I fired him. I'm playing my final two rounds tomorrow and I have no caddie."

"I'm sorry that he upset you like that, but if he was harboring those types of feelings, then maybe it's best that he's off your bag." Kate rubbed her back as her eyes fell to the carpet.

"I kissed him." Isabella whispered the words and Rosalie gasped.

"This is a lot more than a wounded ego, isn't it?"

Bella nodded and started crying again. "I thought he felt the same way. He kissed me back, but then two minutes later…"

"Enough of this wallowing, we're going to take you out. Kate, talk to Laurent about her situation. Isabella, I'm going to find our husbands and let them know that we're taking you out to dinner at the hotel after that horrible incident at lunch, and we'll sort this all out."

"But Kate, wouldn't you want to eat with your husband after what happened this evening?"

"Sugar, I'll be seeing plenty of my husband this weekend as we wait to see whether Emmett or you pull out a win. We travel together, so that means we don't leave until both our men are out of the tournament."

Isabella smiled and looked between the two women. "I don't have a change of clothes here. I was going to go back to my cottage to get ready for dinner with Edward's family tonight, but after everything that happened, I guess that invitation has been rescinded."

Rosalie smiled as Kate went to where the window to Laurent's room was. "We'll make everything better, you just stay in here."

With that, Rosalie walked out and after a few minutes, Laurent came in the room. "There's no one in the yard, but I was informed before the tournament started that I may have to serve double duty, so I'd be happy to now."

Bella looked at him, her mind clouded by her confusion. "I'm sorry? I don't understand."

"I was a caddie at Augusta National in Georgia before I moved up here. I'm not sure if you know this, but all the caddies there are black. Even when the Master's is played there, the professionals are required to use the Augusta caddies out of tradition. I moved here hoping for some more freedom, but the only difference up here is they're sneakier about it. They smile and act like they're better, hiding behind segregation laws to explain why we're second class citizens here as well. It's why I shine shoes, clean toilets, and have to 'sir' and 'ma'am' these young snots who have no clue what life is like. They'll live off the family money and never struggle like I have. All you want is to play a game you love, and because you don't fit into the box they've assigned you, they want to run you out. The only difference is you can make them eat their words. I'm here to see that happen. I'll carry your bag until you ask me not to."

Isabella smiled at him, feeling grateful that she had people on her side. It was hard to think about what had happened between her and Edward, but at the moment, she had to focus on being ready for tomorrow. Rosalie returned with a smile on her face as she headed back to Isabella's locker. "Get what you need and we'll head out. You have to be hungry after everything that's happened."

Bella nodded and grabbed her toiletries, walking out the back entrance with her new friends as they headed along the path to the cottage.

Edward, however, was far from feeling better. After exiting the laundry room in time to see the ladies locker room door close, hearing the water start a moment later, Edward went outside, knowing Isabella would have to come out sometime, and she wouldn't exit too close to the pro-shop because the press had camped out there after the round.

His chest was tight and he was filled with a dread that hadn't filled him since his time in Korea. Although it had only been 30 hours since he rounded the side of the building and first saw her, Edward knew that she was his future, and now he was fearful that he had lost it in his anger. He continued to pace, nearly running into McCarthy and Logan as they walked past him.

"Whoa, what's wrong, boy?" Garrett smiled to him and he ran his fingers through his hair, tugging on it violently.

"I'm looking for Miss Swan. Have you seen her?"

Emmett shook his head but smiled at Edward. "Not personally, but she went to dinner with Rosie and Kate. After her performance this afternoon and the incident at lunch, they wanted to celebrate with her. I'm sure whatever it is can wait until tomorrow."

Edward shook his head, but turned for home, thanking both men for their help.

Meanwhile, Isabella came out of her small bathroom to see Rosalie going through her closet. "You have more options for the golf course than you do for socializing."

Isabella giggled at her tone. "Well Rosalie, strictly speaking, I came here to golf, so it was more important that I have plenty to choose from in terms of that."

Kate started laughing immediately, shaking her head. "I like her. Think I can convince Garrett to take her home with us?"

Rosalie and Bella joined in and then she sighed loudly. "Can you at least show me what you plan to wear for the final two rounds, so that way I know what I can't pick." Isabella walked over and pulled out a black shirt-style dress with a full skirt and a pair of slacks with a blouse and sweater. Rosalie continued picking through it and sighed again. "Here, this dress is perfect!"

Bella blushed and took the brown dress with the pink sash from her. "This is what I was going to wear for the closing ceremony dance."

Kate's head snapped up as they looked at her. "You don't have anything fancier?"

Bella shook her head and Rosalie spun around to address her friend. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"The cream one?" Kate questioned.

"With the black overlay." Rosalie nodded.

"Perfect." Kate agreed as Bella looked on in shock.

"What just happened?"

"Don't worry about it. Put this on, we have the perfect dress for the dance. Now go, and slick your hair into one of those buns you manage so beautifully." Kate pushed her back into the bathroom.

Soon they were leaving the cottage, Bella wearing more makeup than she was used to. As they walked across the gravel road to the hotel, a sense of unease filled Isabella, but her new friends refused to let her falter.

They were shown directly into the dining room and were soon ordering their dinner. In the beginning, the conversation was light, with Kate and Rosalie regaling Isabella with stories from their travels across the country to watch their husbands play. Bella felt a twinge in her heart as she thought of Edward again. When they noticed her distraction, they asked her about what had happened prior to the fight and she began to open up.

"It wasn't one large thing, per say. He was the only caddie who would come near me on Wednesday, even taking me around the course so my first time wouldn't be this morning. Then after the party, he was around talking with the caddie master when I left early. He walked me home and gave me his coat because I didn't bring one. Then he told me that I shouldn't walk to the cottage alone so he offered to escort me. This morning he arrived with some fruit and bread from his father's store as he didn't know if I had much food there and then he was there for me every step today. He guided me when I needed assistance, he held me as I cried after lunch today, and when I saw him after the second round, he was so proud. He made me feel safe and content. I've always been the girl who played golf, and I'm not so naïve as to be unaware of the cost, but until he spoke those words, I thought he was different. I thought-" Isabella stopped short, unsure of how best to complete that sentence. She knew she cared deeply about him, but what had she imagined?

"This is a mess from the 'm' to the 's'." Kate shook her head.

Just then Jane and Alec Jacobs entered and sneered at Bella. "Looks like they'll let anyone in here as well." Jane hissed loud enough for the room to hear.

"Apparently, otherwise your brother would have never been allowed to compete this week. I dare say a few of the amateurs in the qualifications would have outplayed him." Kate retorted.

"I didn't see your husband's name anywhere on the list of players continuing into tomorrow, Kate." Alec jumped in defensively.

"Perhaps, but he had an off week, That won't keep him out of next week's competition. Will you be there, Jacobs?" Rosalie said with a smile, knowing how to hurt him the worst. The two turned on their heels as quickly as they had entered, opting to order room service instead as they prepared for the journey home.

Dinner continued on and when it was over, Emmett and Garrett joined them as they walked Isabella home. Laying out her outfit for tomorrow and beginning the task of setting her hair for the following day, Isabella felt the tears begin to fall as she thought of continuing on tomorrow without Edward's sage advice and calming presence. Too tired to wash off her makeup, Isabella went to bed, the mascara staining her pillow.

Across town, Edward arrived home shortly after running into McCarthy and Logan, walking up the steps to be assaulted by his sister as she looked past him. "Edward, where is she?"

He looked down as he pushed past her. "She went out to dinner with some of the wives."

"Oh, well it's understandable that she'd have plans on such short notice, but will she come over tomorrow?"

"No." Edward walked through the living room and was on his way past the dining room table when his father approached him.

"Is something wrong?"

"I don't want to talk about it, and I'm not hungry. Sorry, Mom."

Edward went into his room without another word and stripped into his undershirt, putting on a pair of sleep pants and climbing into bed, picking up the book beside his bed, but placing it down a moment later when he couldn't get through the first sentence. He lay there in the dark room running through their fight, kicking himself for every word of it. Isabella had wounded his pride, but it wasn't her fault that his social status was such that he could only play on the caddies' day at the club, and that was if there wasn't an event that would hold precedence over any rights the caddies had to play. He had treated her cruelly. He was unsure of how to make it right, but the pain in his head that throbbed in time with his heart let him know that it would haunt him far longer if he were unable to fix this and prove to Isabella just how wrong she was. She could have everything she desired without giving up the game she loved, because if she would have him, he would marry her tomorrow.

His door creaked open and the light filtered in as his mother, Esme, brought him a plate of food. "Edward, dear, I know you are upset, but you must eat if you will go on and carry the bag tomorrow, especially with the rain forecasted."

"I have no one to caddie for; I was fired by Isabella tonight."

"Fired? Whatever for?" Esme brushed the hair out of her eldest child's eyes to see the anguish in his expression.

"I deserved it, Mother. I was harsh and mean, and I cannot tell you why. I just got so angry that she could give it all up so easily that I reacted without thinking, and I know my words hurt her."

"You'll work it out. A little bit of that Irish charm to smooth over the Irish temper and everything will be right again."

"I don't know how. How do I even get her to speak to me?"

"I'm sure you'll find a way. Just don't give up. If it was meant to be, then it will be." Edward grumbled and rolled over. "Edward Cullen, don't you dare groan at me. Do you love her? This Swan girl?"

Edward nodded, feeling the tightening in his chest increase. "I do."

"Then that's all that matters. What good is playing it safe if she is gone with the mist come Sunday? Now eat."

Edward laughed at his mother's logic and sat up to eat the dinner his mother brought him as he thought on how he could win back his heart.

**To help you guys keep track of the scores, I'm giving you a mini leaderboard below.**

**Name R1 R2 Total**  
**King 72(+1) 70(-1) 142(E)**  
**Miss Swan 74(+3) 70(-1) 144(+2)**  
**McCarthy 71(E) 73(+2) 144(+2)**  
**A. Volturi 74(+3) 71(E) 145(+3) **  
**O'Hare 74(+3) 72(+1) 146(+4)**  
**C. Volturi 75(+4) 77(+6) 152(+10)**  
**Logan 76(+5) 78(+7) 154(+12)**  
**Jacobs 78(+7) 77(+6) 155(+13)**

** I know you guys probably want to hit me for the second half of that chapter, but there is a method to my madness and I'll try to get it to you a little early after the minor heartfail. Thank you all and please leave some love.**


	4. A Haven in the Storm

**Thanks as always to my beta A Cullen Wannabe for speeding this back to me after I sent it to her a mere few hours ago.**

**I'm keeping the golf info here just in case you want to reference it again. When players are referenced during the golf rounds, they are traditionally referred to by their last name only, with the exceptions of amateurs, like Bella, who are referred to as Mr. or in this case, Miss. So you don't get confused, here's the full list of the important characters:**

**Miss Swan – Isabella**  
** McCarthy – Emmett**  
** O'Hare – Liam**  
** A. Volturi - Aro**  
** King - Royce**

**I know most of them are easy, but there are a few that I made up names for so I wanted to give you the cheat sheet. Any random last names not above are players who are fabricated simply to fill out the threesomes as we follow them and will have no real affect on the outcome of the rounds. You won't be following their play so much as acknowledging their presence. And finally, scoring goes as followed:**

**Eagle – 2 under par**  
** Birdie – 1 under par**  
** Par – The score set for the hole**  
** Bogey – One over par**  
** Double Bogey – Two over par (and so forth…)**

Isabella woke up with a pounding head and tired eyes. She sat up and rubbed her neck, hoping to alleviate the pain, but gave up when it seemed to do no good. Setting out to get ready for the long day ahead of her, she started by taking a longer than usual shower to relax herself and then began to make herself presentable.

Knowing that her stellar performance had won her a spot in the second to last twosome of the day, she ate her breakfast slowly, waiting for Laurent to come with an umbrella as the rain had already begun.

A knock on the door woke her from her thoughts as she grabbed her change for the afternoon round that would likely not be needed if the rain continued. As Bella approached the clubhouse, she snuck into the locker room and told Laurent she didn't want to be disturbed.

When Edward woke up, he was startled by the presence of his sister on the edge of his bed. "What do you want, Alice?"

"I'm coming to watch the golf today." Alice beamed while Edward simply shook his head.

"It's going to be pouring out; you should stay home so you don't get sick."

"If Isabella can play in it, I can stand in it. You have a golf umbrella, I'll be fine."

Edward grumbled, but sat up and ran his fingers through his hair. "All right. But if I get a chance to talk to her, you'll make yourself scarce."

"I will, now get ready so we can head over to the course."

Edward shook his head again and got up to shower and shave. Coming downstairs, Alice was practically bouncing up and down as they made their way to the family's Crown Victoria and climbed in.

When they arrived at Beech Knoll, Alice made her way to the first tee to wait for Isabella's tee time while Edward went to speak to her. Walking into the laundry room, he found Laurent quickly and tried to convince him to bring Isabella to speak to him, but it was no use.

"I'm sorry, Edward. You know I like you, but I have to do what's best for my player. She has a big day ahead of her, and I can't let you distress her."

"Laurent, I don't want to upset her, I want to apologize for the way I acted."

Laurent turned to him but continued to load the towels into the washer. "That may be the case, but she was a wreck last night after I let you see her, and I won't make the same mistake twice. Stay around for the morning round, I doubt it will let up enough for the final round to be played. I'll tell her during the break. If she wants to see you, I'll bring you here then."

Edward nodded solemnly, knowing that Laurent knew what was best for Isabella at the moment. At the same time, he was angry with himself for his behavior, as it had obviously upset Bella far worse than he had hoped.

Making his way out to where Alice was waiting for him, they settled in as the last few groups began to play. As O'Hare made his way down the fairway, the crowd began to jostle with the anticipation of Miss Swan and A. Volturi's first shots of the morning.

Watching her walk up with Laurent, Edward's stomach dropped as he noticed the circles under her eyes that had been nearly covered up, and the slight droop in her shoulders. A. Volturi set up to take his first shot and sent a bomb off down the fairway. Miss Swan too made an impressive first shot as part of the crowd began to follow the players along the length of the hole.

For the first few holes, the field held its own, with only King earning a bogey on the third hole when he couldn't seem to find the cup after making it to the green from his tee shot.

With the rain coming into play, the course had been changed overnight, moving some of the holes to areas where the water was less likely to collect as the day wore on and the tees moved up on some of the holes, making the course a completely different beast to tame in the steady rain.

Coming up to the 5th hole, Alice was still quite confused as to what was happening, but tried to keep her questions to a minimum as to not annoy her brother. With her second shot on the hole landing in the deep rough, Isabella stepped out from under the safety of her umbrella to take her third shot.

As soon as her club made contact with the ball there was a silence throughout the crowd that was deafening. Yet it wasn't the mere 10 feet that her ball had traveled that caused it, but a sound that was rarely heard since the invention of steel shafted clubs, the sound of a club breaking. It took Alice's hand on Edward's wrist to make him realize that he had begun to move through the crowd towards Isabella as she dropped almost to her knees, catching herself and picking up the broken half of her club and handing it to Laurent before taking a new club and popping the ball up onto the green, barely saving her bogey on that hole.

As they moved to the next hole, Edward noticed a familiar face from the previous day's gallery move up and settle in near Laurent's position on the side of the tee box. A groan alerted the gallery at the 6th tee, that McCarthy had botched a six foot putt on hole 5, leaving the top three golfers each one over as they began the sixth.

Miss Swan was left trying to cope to the loss of her wedge, now having to rely on her 9 iron for her shorter shots, an adjustment no one wants to make during a major Tour event. Over thinking her misfortune, Isabella managed to bogey the sixth hole as well.

As Bella quickly began unraveling, Kate Logan caught Laurent's attention at the seventh tee as A. Volturi teed up, motioning with her head across the gallery to Edward and Alice's position. Laurent looked up and smiled, stepping behind Isabella and whispered in her ear. "Look just to the right of the tee."

Isabella did as he said, her breath catching in her chest as she took in Edward's intense gaze. 'Breathe' he mouthed to her and she did, feeling a warmth spread at through her as he smiled and nodded to her, the first bit of tension leaving her body at the sight of him. "He came," she whispered to no one in particular as she stepped up to the tee and took her first shot. The roar from ahead let both Volturi and Miss Swan know a birdie had been made by O'Hare. Not to be outdone by the Irishman, A. Volturi made a birdie on #7 with a nice approach shot.

Still fighting with how to make the shorter shots, Miss Swan's third shot went a little past the green, but she managed to save her par, smiling at Edward as she walked past the crowd on her way to the eighth hole. With putting made harder by the rain, the final group of King and McCarthy couldn't earn back the stroke they had lost on previous holes and stayed at one over for the day.

Through the middle part of the course, the players continued to be pelted by the rain, but competitors from the wetter climates like the British Isle's and the Pacific Northwest were finding themselves a little more at home. With stolen glances and silent encouragement, Edward was able to be there for Isabella, even though he was restricted to the gallery. By the time they made the turn onto 13, it appeared she'd still be able to salvage the round. O'Hare in the group before her, as well as A. Volturi found the bunker and bogeyed the hole as Miss Swan now had enough practice with her 9 iron to miss the bunker and pull out a birdie, leap frogging O'Hare and landing in a three way tie for second with A. Volturi and McCarthy with plus three overall.

With the rain only getting worse as the afternoon wore on, the galleries around the final five holes were all seas of umbrellas as 14 served to level the playing field when both McCarthy and King bogeyed the hole, bringing King's lead down to only one stroke, and knocking McCarthy back into a tie for 4th.

Going up to the 15th, the wind howled knocking some balls down while carrying others past the desired landing, leading to a round of bogeys not only there but on 16 also. With only two holes to go, O'Hare found yet another bunker, clearing it just in time for A. Volturi to take his spot, knocking them each another stroke behind King, who was trying to hold onto the lead.

Miss Swan hit the ball into the rough just beyond the hole, but popped up her next shot to 8 feet away from the hole, knocking it in to earn a par. Using their strength to make the green in one shot and then two putting for par as well, McCarthy and King were each one step closer to their final 18 holes of the US Open.

As the final three groups approached the final hole each attacked the hole a different way. O'Hare bombed one past the bunkers and then used his next two shots to get within 3 feet of the hole to earn a par and end the round at 3 over for the day and 7 over for the tournament.

Volturi chose to hit two shorter shots, and then knocked in his forth shot for a par as well. The par parade continued as Miss Swan, with a final encouraging smile from Edward, fought a muddy ball to earn a +3 for the round, the same score as A. Volturi, yet her overall score was five over, with his being one stroke behind her at plus six.

The final twosome each found the hole in four strokes, leaving McCarthy with a +4 for the day and a total of six over, while King retained the lead with a round score of plus four, which after his even parred previous day's score left him with a tiny lead with one round to go.

The thunder clap that rang out overhead as the final players walked to the clubhouse sent the gallery scattering for shelter as the skies opened up, leaving many of the players stuck to wait out the rain in the men's grille before making the walk to the King Hotel for the night.

Isabella, however, ran into her locker room and was soon finding it very crowded. Kate and Rosalie were there to congratulate her on her round while a new face popped in a short time later.

"I'm sorry, fans aren't allowed in the locker room." Rosalie sniped at the dark-haired sprite.

"I'm not a fan. I'm Alice Cullen and I only came in here to beg your forgiveness on my brother's behalf. I know he's stubborn and an idiot at times, but I haven't seen him this bad off since he came back from Korea. My brother is the surest person I know, and he doesn't know what to do with himself since your fight. So please, talk to him."

Rosalie was about to comment when Isabella responded. "He's really that torn up?"

"All he said last night was that he messed up and he had to make it right. Please let him."

Isabella smiled and walked over to the deliverance she'd been hoping for. "Where is he?"

"Hiding in the laundry room. Your caddie told him that if you wanted to see him after the round he'd bring you there, so he snuck in before the clubhouse got too crowded."

"I'll be back." Isabella ran to the laundry room and flew inside, looking around until she found a stunned Edward.

"I wasn't expecting you to come this soon, I-"

Bella flew into his arms and hugged herself to him tightly, halting him mid sentence. "Edward, thank you. I couldn't have done as well as I did today without you. Just knowing that you were there to support me…even after-"

Before she could finish Edward's lips found hers and she melted further into him. Pulling back from her, he cradled her face in his hands. "Isabella, I was a fool. The fact that you're even willing to speak to me at this moment only amplifies how wrong I was to let my anger win out last night. I'm so sorry that I upset you, I didn't mean those hateful things…I've just wished I could be in your place my entire life and I know that will never happen. To see you so willing to give it up hurt, but now I realize that you were just choosing what's important to you. I know I may not have any right to ask you this, but would you please come have dinner with my family tonight?"

"Yes." Bella's simple answer caught him off guard for the shortest of seconds before he continued to ramble.

"Thank you. There's so much I have to tell you, but I was afraid that you'd be too hurt to listen. It looks like you've got the patience of the saint to go along with your angel's face. God, I'm so proud of you! I don't know how you managed to stay so composed out there between the rain and the broken wedge-. Which reminds me, I can go to the pro-shop and have them get you a replacement club and cut it down and re-gripped in time for tomorrow. I just need one of your other-"

Bella's giggle stopped him this time as he stared at her curiously. "Not even officially hired back and you're already handling me again. It's good to have you back. But I don't need a new club. I got used to the 9 iron by the end and they'll give me a metal shafted club as a replacement, which will throw me off much worse. I'll manage just fine with you by my side. Now, your sister is probably freezing in her wet clothes, so how about you take me back to get ready and then drop her at home before coming back for me. I'll need an hour or so to be presentable."

"My family would be happy to have you with us as you are, and so would I." Edward took in her dripping form before sighing. "But I understand your need. Go get everything you'll need out of the locker room and I'll get the car out of the spectators lot. See you out front in a few?"

Isabella nodded and Edward leaned in to steal another kiss before running to fetch the car. Bella ducked back into the locker room and smiled at the three women waiting for her. "You're right, Alice, Edward is ballsy to kiss her that quickly."

Isabella's face was a dark crimson as she looked to Rosalie in shock. "How in the world did you know that?"

"You've got that 'I'm in love' look, and after last night, he would have had to kiss you to put that smile back on your face." Bella blushed further and then grabbed her clothes and toiletries before walking out with her friends. Heading out to the main entrance, she parted ways from Rosalie and Kate, who were going to find their husbands and enjoy one of the public areas, while Alice and Bella made a run for it. They slipped into the car from the safety of Edward's golf umbrella before Edward pulled away.

Driving along the main road to the hotel, Edward pulled into the back lot and turned to his sister. "I shouldn't be too long, but if you feel uncomfortable, go sit in the hotel lounge and I'll come find you there."

"I'll be fine, brother bear, now go on already." Bella laughed at the exchange, not having a sibling of her own to interact with like that.

Edward got out of the car and walked around to the front passenger door to let Bella out. Taking her hand as he held the umbrella over them, they started down the path that would lead her home. "So, how did you enjoy dinner with your new friends last night?"

"How'd you know I went to dinner with the girls last night?" Bella looked up at Edward with a smile on her face.

"I ran into McCarthy while I was waiting for you to come out so I could apologize. I knew I had to make it right, and then he told me you were gone for the night, so I went home and sulked until I fell asleep."

Isabella shook her head and squeezed his hand a little harder. "No more regrets, Edward. We only have a day and a half left together, and I intend on enjoying the time I have left with you."

"So do I. I've never felt this way about anyone before." He was staring down at her when her eyes shot up to meet his.

"Really?"

"Why does it surprise you that I could love you? You're the most extraordinary woman I've ever met." He saw her eyes fall to the muddy path in the woods and instantly tried to think of what he had said to upset her. "Bella, what's wrong?"

"You love me?" Her voice cracked and he pulled her closer, crushing her body against his own.

"I wouldn't have said it if it weren't the truth. I love you, Miss Swan."

The tears started falling from her eyes as the shiver ripped through her body. "I love you too, Edward."

"Okay, let's get you inside before you catch your death out here." Edward walked her to the front door and smiled at her, kissing her again once she had the door opened and then following her in for a moment. "I'll be back in about 45 minutes, that way you'll be decent and I can walk you out to the car once you're ready. I better get back to Alice."

"See you soon." Bella blushed and smiled as Edward walked outside and ran off into the rain to get back to her all the sooner.

Once he got back to the car, he took off in the direction of the house, ignoring the smile on his sister's face. "Edward, I'm glad you were able to work everything out with her, although I have a feeling that she let you off far easier than you deserved."

Edward shook his head and continued to drive home, getting into the shower when he arrived. He threw on a pair of slacks and a button down shirt before throwing on a heavy raincoat and driving back to the hotel parking lot.

In the time since Edward left, Isabella laid out her outfit for dinner and got in the shower, hoping the hot water would warm her up. Wrapping her hair in a towel and dressing in her underwear, Isabella put on her robe and slipped out of the bathroom only to be shocked by who was waiting for her.

When Edward made it to the path, he moved quickly as his need to see Bella again won out. He kept walking along the path through the woods when he saw something that confused him at first. The new set of footprints were headed in the direction of Isabella's cabin and hadn't been there when he left just short of an hour ago. He picked up his pace and rounded the bend to see the garden outside of the house wrecked and all the rocks missing. Edward's stomach lurched as he remembered the hidden key, a second before a cut off screech rang out from the cottage. Edward ran at the door and tore it open to see Isabella crouched on her bed with Royce King towering over her, his hands on her arms as he shook her. "You've ruined everything, you little bitch!" Royce slurred as he raised his hand to hit her.

Before he had the chance, Edward grabbed his hand, causing Royce to spin and swing at him. Edward was able to use his drunkenness against him as he threw Royce to the floor by the door. When he hit the ground he saw Edward's seething form and the reality of the moment hit him as he ran out the front door, the spare key still stuck in the lock. Edward took it out and locked the house before turning to Bella where she was trembling on her mattress.

"Sweetheart, oh my God, are you okay? Did he hurt you? I swear to God, I will kill him for this."

"Edward, Edward…please, just let it be. He isn't worth it and I'm fine. Royce was drunk and he was ranting but there wasn't anything behind it."

Edward looked down and saw her robe hanging open, her brazier exposed and growled. "Bella, he has to be punished."

"My father is a cop, Edward. I've learned over the years that people like Royce King don't get punished for their crimes…especially when it's something they'll classify as minor. His money and his father's influence will only make it worse for you after they make it go away."

"I'm not worried about myself-"

"But I am. I don't plan on being away from you for any longer than I have to, so I can't be bringing their ire onto us. Please, just let me get ready and we'll go have dinner with your parents and Alice at your house. We can figure out everything else afterwards. The worst thing I could do to him is beat him tomorrow, and I plan on doing just that."

Edward couldn't hide his smile at her attitude, but had no intention of leaving her alone for the remainder of her stay.

Isabella quickly went into the bathroom to change and came out a few minutes later with her hair up and a sweater on to keep out the cold. Edward tried once more to get Bella to speak to Jasper, but she refused, telling him that she just wanted to forget about it and enjoy the time they had left together.

Locking the cottage, they headed back to the family car and drove the distance to his home. When they arrived, the Cullen's were all anxiously awaiting her, and made her feel right at home. Dinner was ready soon after they arrived, and the family sat down to eat with their guest.

Isabella was moved by how generous the Cullen's were being to her and said so on more than one occasion. When dinner was over, Carlisle and Esme, as Bella was implored to call them, went to bed as it was nearly 9pm and Carlisle had to be up at 5am to open the store in the morning.

Sitting on the couch, Isabella and Edward soon fell into conversation once they were alone. When Edward looked at the clock and saw that it was nearly 10:00, he stood up and began walking to the stairs. "I'll see if Alice has something you can borrow until the morning when I can take you to the cottage to change."

Bella stared at him as she stood up herself. "Edward, I'm not spending the night here. I'd feel funny and besides, I should be near the clubhouse in case something happens and Laurent has to get a hold of me."

"Bella, I don't like the idea of you being there alone after this evening. What if _Royce_ gets anymore bright ideas? I can't stand the thought of something happening to you."

Isabella blushed and took his hand. "Then come stay with me."

Edward blanched as he began to stammer. "Bella…darling, I'm not sure that would be best. We aren't married yet and I don't want to-"

Bella placed her fingers on Edward's lips, silencing him. "Yet?"

His eyes widened and his breath shallowed. "I…that is…"

"You want to marry me?" Her eyes were wet with unshed tears.

"Isabella, why wouldn't I? You're beautiful, intelligent…you're one of the best putters I've ever seen, and for some unknown reason, you've fallen in love with me. Look, I understand that it's been a little over two days, but every moment of them has led me to believe that I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

"I want to spend the rest of my life with you, too." Bella's tears spilled over as Edward kissed her as passionately as he dared. Breaking the kiss he looked her over and wiped away her tears.

"I'm going to get a change and have Alice come so she can drive home, otherwise my father won't have a car in the morning."

Edward ran upstairs and saw Alice standing by his door with a small overnight bag and a smile. "Congratulations Edward, now let's drop you off."

Edward laughed and started back down the stairs, but stopped halfway. "Hey, Ali, bring Jasper tomorrow, I want him to meet Isabella."

"Will do."

The three of them went out to the car and Edward started it up. He drove to the hotel parking lot and watched as his sister drove off before leading Bella back to the cottage. Making sure the door was locked; he let her use the rest room to change while he went through his bag to find his own. Seeing Isabella in her curlers made him smile, because she was the first woman beside his sister and mother that he'd seen in curlers since his time in Korea had the nurses' running straight out of their tents at 2am for surgery. And after tonight, she'd be the last as well.

**To help you guys keep track of the scores, I'm giving you a mini leaderboard below.**

**Name R1 R2 R3 Total**  
**King 72(+1) 70(-1) 75(+4) 217(+4)**  
**Miss Swan 74(+3) 70(-1) 74(+3) 218(+5)**  
**McCarthy 71(E) 73(+2) 75(+4) 219(+6)**  
**A. Volturi 74(+3) 71(E) 74(+3) 219(+6) **  
**O'Hare 74(+3) 72(+1) 74(+3) 220(+7)**

**I know they're moving fast, but it was a different time and she's leaving for Washington on Sunday so he has to make his move. Also, I hope the golf was a little easier now that there are only 5 golfers to follow. Only two chapters left now the final round and the epilogue.**


	5. Destiny in the Making

**Thanks to my amazing beta, A Cullen Wannabe, for not only getting this back super fast and doing an awesome job, but listening to me complain about trying to get this right in every email since the last post...this kept finding a way in, either a promise that she'd get it soon or a cry that it still wasn't done. But in the end I'm so proud of the result and I hope you like it. Check the bottom for pics. As always:**

**I'm keeping the golf info here just in case you want to reference it again. When players are referenced during the golf rounds, they are traditionally referred to by their last name only, with the exceptions of amateurs, like Bella, who are referred to as Mr. or in this case, Miss. So you don't get confused, here's the full list of the important characters:**

**Miss Swan – Isabella**  
** McCarthy – Emmett**  
** O'Hare – Liam**  
** A. Volturi - Aro**  
** King - Royce**

**I know most of them are easy, but there are a few that I made up names for so I wanted to give you the cheat sheet. Any random last names not above are players who are fabricated simply to fill out the threesomes as we follow them and will have no real affect on the outcome of the rounds. You won't be following their play so much as acknowledging their presence. And finally, scoring goes as followed:**

**Eagle – 2 under par**  
** Birdie – 1 under par**  
** Par – The score set for the hole**  
** Bogey – One over par**  
** Double Bogey – Two over par (and so forth…)**

Isabella was the first to stir the next morning, rolling backwards into something solid and then feeling a strong, warm arm constrict around her waist. Foggy from sleep, she pulled away and nearly fell off the bed when she finally saw the man behind her as his arm slid down to catch her just above the knee and kept her from tumbling to the floor.

"It's okay, darling, it's just me." Edward's voice broke the silence and calmed her nerves as she blinked the sleep out of her eyes.

"Good morning, Edward. I'm sorry; you just startled me for a moment."

Isabella blushed and looked down as Edward brushed the back of his hand across her cheek. "My love, what is it?"

"It's only…I've never shared my bed with a man before."

Edward climbed over Bella and gave her a little space as he tried to comfort his love. "Sweetheart, we didn't do anything inappropriate. I laid on top of the covers so you wouldn't feel uncomfortable. I would never put you in a position that would compromise your honor."

"I know that. I'm just worried about my parents' reaction, especially my mother."

"You don't think they'll approve of me?" Edward's heart began to race at the thought of Isabella's family trying to break them apart.

"My father will come around once he realizes how happy you make me and my mom will do the same eventually, once she sees you're a good man. Their main issue will be with the speed at which it has moved. I just wish that I wasn't going to be telling them alone."

"Darling, if I could go with you, I would. But I have to save up the money. $25 is a lot of money, but as soon as I've got enough for the ticket, I will be on the first train out to Washington to meet your family and win them over. When you get home, call me if your father wishes to speak to me before I can travel to be with you."

"I still cannot believe this has happened. A few days ago I was alone in the world, and now, I have you by my side. I can't wait to move here and start our life together."

Edward pulled Bella into his arms and smiled. "I'm so glad that you are so excited about this, but let's get you through today, and then we can discuss what will happen tomorrow. I think it would be best if we started getting ready for the morning. Do you mind if I use your shower?"

Bella giggled and then shook her head. "No, not at all, but let me use it first, that way I can fix my hair while you are getting ready."

Edward smiled at Isabella and then let her walk into the bathroom with her clothes to prepare for the day. Edward dug through the bag Alice had packed and found his tan pants and button down shirt. Laying out the shirt so that he could change into it once he was ready, he grabbed his undergarments and looked around the small cottage. So much had happened here for them, between that first morning and the events of last night that still made Edward irate to think of. Isabella may not let him render charges against Royce, but he would be punished if his sister kept her promise.

Soon, Edward was entering the bathroom with his toiletries and clothing, and was assaulted by the strawberry essence that had haunted his dreams since he caught scent of it on his coat. Making quick work of his shower, he shaved and dressed, reemerging into the main room of the cottage to see two plates of eggs and bacon sitting on the table as Isabella stood with her back to him, ironing his shirt. He cleared his throat and she turned, a smile playing on her lips. "You didn't have to do that, it wasn't that wrinkled."

"I wanted to. I want the world to see you the way I do when we step out there together. Now sit down and we can enjoy some breakfast."

Edward did as she asked and they ate their meal in a contented silence before Isabella began fluttering around the room, fixing her hair and collecting her things. "Isabella, I wanted to speak to you about tonight."

Before he could continue his thoughts, Bella cut him off. "I hope you don't mind, but I asked Alice to pick out one of your best suits and lay it out for you. I assumed it would be easier to get ready at your house and then travel from there to the party."

"Sweetheart, I won't be allowed at the party."

Isabella squared her shoulders and smiled. "If they want me there, then they will not deny me my guest, especially if he is my fiancé."

At the mention of the word, Edward smiled, but behind it he started plotting. He knew that their discussion last night of the future was as good as a betrothal in Isabella's eyes, but he had a need to do it properly, and with a ring. That of course would require a conversation with his mother that he hoped would go better than Bella anticipated the talk with her parents going. He knew his mother would regard his feelings in the matter and had shown a liking to Isabella at dinner, but asking her for his grandmother's ring would most likely take a bit of convincing.

A small hand on his shoulder woke him from his thoughts and informed him that it was time to fasten his shirt buttons and head to the clubhouse.

When Isabella and Edward arrived, Laurent was waiting to turn her clubs over to him with a sly smile. "Good morning, Miss Swan, Edward. It is good to see you both this morning."

"It is good to see you as well, Laurent. Is the Tournament President in yet this morning?"

"Yes, he's with the Club President in his office, do you need to speak to them before the round?"

"I do, I shouldn't be long. Edward can see to anything that needs to be handled immediately. I have complete faith in him."

Laurent smiled and nodded, opening the door for her and then turning to Edward. "It seems forgiveness is another virtue that can be added to her list. I saw her making you sweat it out a little more, but you are as good for her as she is for you, I guess."

Edward laughed and then walked towards the caddie yard. "I am a lucky man."

While the men were speaking of her virtue, Isabella went straight to the President's office and asked to be shown in. When she was, both men stood and smiled warmly at her. "Miss Swan, it is so good to see you. Is there anything we can do?"

"Yes, sir, there is. I wanted to make sure there was no issue tonight when I arrive to the closing ball with my date."

"Why would there be a problem? Has one of our players caught your eye?" The Tournament President, Mr. Varner, smiled at the idea of the possible headlines that could come from a love connection.

"No sir, the man I intend to bring is Edward Cullen. He and I have become involved, and I wish to celebrate with him and my friends tonight, no matter how I finish this afternoon."

"Your caddie? That is out of the question!" Mr. Green exclaimed as Bella stood.

"This club has crusaded to make this weekend exceedingly difficult for me, and it would be a real shame if some of those details were made known. I think Mr. Hunt would be interested in my segregation from the other competitors with the inferior on-site lodging, or the discrimination at the grille, among other things."

"That's blackmail." Mr. Green stated, quite offended.

"Blackmail is an ugly word. I prefer to think of it as the fact that I've finally learned how to play your games. Now will we have any problems this evening?" Both men shook their heads and she smiled. "Good and I'd appreciate it if the relationship was kept under wraps. It would be unfortunate for all involved if my parents found out about their future son-in-law from the news before I arrived home to tell them myself."

Isabella walked out of the office and went back to the locker room to get ready. While the first 19 twosomes made their way to the first tee, Isabella played around with her 9 iron at the range, perfecting her use of it as a wedge with Edward watching on. As the time neared for her to approach the tee box, Edward escorted her there with Laurent nearby.

His curiosity finally getting the best of him, Edward posed the question that had nagged at him since Isabella left to speak the Mr. Varner and Mr. Green. "Sweetheart, what did you need to speak to the presidents about this morning?"

"I just made sure that they wouldn't give us a problem tonight."

"Isabella?" He reproached her and she sighed.

"I simply told them that there were certain events that occurred over this weekend that would give the club and the Tour a bad name."

His eyes bulged and he caught her arm. "You what?"

"Edward, I had to. They've been playing dirty since I got here; I simply borrowed from their playbook. Royce was never mentioned, only the more public humiliations they let go. I didn't want to upset you, but they're not going to let me join this club and you're better than them. All they do is put us down, and I won't let them do it to you anymore than you've let them do it to me."

Bella's eyes watered and Edward pulled her to him. "I'm not angry at you. You're right, we are better than them. This isn't the only golf course in town, I just always wanted to belong here because it's the best. But I'd rather play a lesser course with you than be at Augusta National and have to play alone. Please darling, try to relax, it will do you no good to upset yourself when you're about to play. We have a long morning ahead of us and I will be there every minute."

Bella breathed in Edward's scent as it rolled off his form and then pulled away, straightening her blouse and making sure it was properly tucked into her pants before they walked over the ridge and approached the clubhouse on the way to the first tee.

The later tee times seemed to help everyone out as the sound from the first hole was indicating that no one had committed an error yet this morning. Isabella stepped up to the tee and watched as Royce King made his approach. She tensed at the sight of him, Edward's hands finding her waist as he closed the distance between them. "He can't hurt you, I won't let him. Just focus on your game, I'll take care of the rest."

Isabella nodded and stepped to the side so that Royce could take his first shot. After he cleared the tee, Miss Swan took her shot, starting off her final round with a score of par.

The gallery was larger than it had been for the previous rounds as many people waited to see the final pair play and then moved to follow them around the course, hoping to see history happen.

Hearing the murmur of the crowd let the players know that McCarthy had managed to birdie the second hole while the group before them was putting for par at the moment.

Royce stepped up to the tee and stopped short for a moment before turning away from the gallery and taking his shot. The ball flew left into the trees as King threw his club at Lonnie, his caddie, and trudged off in the direction of his shot. Bella addressed her ball and took her shot, fairing much better than her opponent. Isabella completed the hole with another par as King struggled to right himself and walked away with a bogey that left them tied for the lead at +5 overall.

McCarthy's climb up the leaderboard continued on the par 5 4th hole where he used his long drive to shave a stroke off the par, putting a little pressure on the final pair, who rose to the occasion. While King sunk a long putt to earn his birdie, Miss Swan used her now signature 9-iron shot to get within putting distance and sunk her birdie putt as well.

As the clink of her ball finding the cup was heard on 4, the groan of the gallery at the 5th green informed the field that McCarthy committed an error pushing him back to 3rd place. That was short lived as King reached the green in 2 shots, but after a great 3rd shot from Miss Swan helping her save her chance at par and another odd reaction to the gallery, he managed to three putt the hole to earn his second birdie of the day and allowing Isabella's par to sit her in the top spot alone as they neared the sixth tee.

With the field breathing down her neck, Miss Swan maintained her cool and earned a par on the 6th as did the rest of the players in contention, keeping the two-way tie for 2nd and 4th intact.

King recovered from his earlier issues and made the 7th green in two shots, safely two putting to a birdie score of four. Isabella once again relied on her 9-iron to get her third shot onto the green and sunk her putt for a birdie as well, refusing to give up her lead.

The par three 8th went by without incident and as they approached the final hole of the front nine.

King's second shot on 9 landed in the green side bunker and his third shot exploded out of the bunker and flew over the green completely, landing in the rough. While Miss Swan sunk her putt for par, King chipped his forth shot within 6 feet and then saved his bogey with a successful putt.

Coming up to the tenth hole Miss Swan had a two stroke lead over King and McCarthy who were tied for second, and a three stroke lead over O'Hare and A. Volturi where they were tied for 4th with a score of+6.

Her male counterparts easily hit the ball beyond the 225 yards of rough and onto the fairway, while Miss Swan barely carried the ball the distance. Knowing she could either push her luck and go for the green or hang back and then hit a solid shot and use her superior putting to save par, she turned to Edward for his opinion.

"Edward, what do I do? Should I try for the green or hang back? I don't know which is right and there's so much riding on it."

Edward took her club and replaced it in the bag before taking her hand under the guise of wiping off her glove and whispered to her. "You have to stay calm. They're waiting for you to make a mistake because it is their only chance of winning this. Lay back and then hit the green on your third, you'll be fine, love."

She smiled and took her 9-iron, using it on her next two shots before sinking her putt for a par, much to the disappointment of her competition. The eleventh was another parred hole by the final three groups, but it was the 12th that tightened the field for some while it sent one competitor out of contention.

A. Volturi hit the bunker off the tee and it took him another three shots to make the green. In an attempt to save bogey he hit a hard putt, but it rolled past the hole and he tapped in his six shot for a double bogey and an overall score of +8. Meanwhile, Miss Swan's second shot fell short of the green and a conservative chip shot onto the green led to her two putting the hole for a bogey.

The 13th served to help Isabella to keep her lead as McCarthy, O'Hare and King all found the left rough to the side of the green, with King also missing an easy 5 foot putt to earn him a bogey and leave McCarthy as the one chasing Bella for the trophy.

Yet it was the next hole that restored her two shot lead as McCarthy's ball rolled off the green and then he hit his second shot beyond the green, then two putted for a bogey 4, while the rest of the field managed to par, including Miss Swan who hit the middle of the green and easily sank her putt, something none of the three men within striking distance did.

The previous groups carded pars on 15 with the exception of A. Volturi, who fell another stroke down the leaderboard with his bogey. Isabella knew that she had to hit the ball beyond the hole or risk the ball rolling away and forcing her to double bogey the hole. King had no problem with his par as she hit her third shot from 18 feet and then tapped in a 3 foot putt for bogey and a one shot lead with three left to play.

McCarthy blew his second birdie opportunity in a row on 16 as Isabella managed a nice 9-iron shot and an easy putt for the last par on the hole.

O'Hare missed a putt on 17, knocking him back to +7 and taking a little of the pressure off of Bella. King hit his first shot within 20 feet of the hole on the par three while Miss Swan's shot landed 45' from the hole. Taking her second shot, she made it almost all the way to the hole and then tapped in the two foot putt for par. King missed his birdie attempt and earned a par, leaving one hole between Isabella Swan and history.

The walk to 18 revealed that the entire 378 yards of the hole was ringed six people deep as everyone, including a few of the competitors who hadn't made the cut and two who had stepped off in the last few minutes waited to see what the outcome would be.

O'Hare, having played with Miss Swan wanted to see how she would do after the 18th was able to rob him of any chance with a bogey leaving him 3 behind the lead, while McCarthy, who was surrounded by Logan and both of their better halves waited to see if his par would be enough to force a playoff if Isabella was to misstep here.

King's first shot was hit well, causing Isabella to play a little strategy, holding back slightly leading her to take her second shot first as she was further from the hole. Her second shot landed 30 feet from the hole, with King knocking his to 20 feet, once again allowing her first crack at the third shot. Her third shot rolled 4 feet past the hole and Royce King addressed his ball only to fall short on a shot he never should have. Many in the gallery were hoping Miss Swan would choke and allow their hometown hero to pull out, but as he tapped in his ball for par, it seemed those dreams weren't meant to be.

The crowd was roaring as she patiently waited for the crowd to get the excitement out of their system, feeling the excitement of her fiancé from where he stood just behind her.

The silence that had finally descended over the final hole as Miss Swan stepped up to her ball for the shot that would earn her the trophy was obliterated the moment the clink of the ball finding its home was heard. With raised arms, Isabella spun around and laughed, tears streaming down her cheeks yet still showing the restraint that golf was known for as Edward hugged her tightly. "You did it, darling, I knew you could."

Edward released her as Royce approached and stared at her before he extended his hand. Isabella was sure it was only for the cameras but still met it and shook his hand before the crowd flooded the green and began reaching out for her. She shook as many hands as possible before Alice attacked her, squeezing her. "Wow Isabella, that was amazing!"

Bella laughed again and then turned to the man she presumed to be Jasper from his proximity to Alice and his police uniform. "Miss Swan, it's a pleasure to meet you. And may I say that was a fine round."

"Thank you, and please, call me Isabella." Jasper smiled at her and the approached her left side as Alice stepped in front of her. With Edward to her right, the three of them surrounded her as they walked through the crowd that grew even larger as they approached where the other fans waited by the clubhouse. Once they were inside, Isabella and Alice ducked into the locker room and Jasper left to bring the car around.

In the locker room, Isabella cleaned up and then looked around, making sure she had all of her possessions as the knock came on the door. Alice opened it and smiled as Rosalie McCarthy and Kate Logan walked in for the last of their locker room pep talks.

After congratulations and plans for the time before the party were discussed, the girls exited together and met Emmett and Garrett where they were waiting to congratulate Bella as well. Once they were ready, Edward and Alice walked with Isabella out front.

The girls got in while Edward put Bella's clubs and bags into the trunk and then slid in the back seat next to Bella. When they arrived to the Cullen house, Alice whisked Isabella upstairs to get ready. Edward was surprised when Rosalie stopped by shortly after they had arrived, touting a garment bag and a devilish smile.

Rosalie didn't stay long, and Edward finally saw his opportunity to talk to his mother. Walking into the den, he found both his parents and smiled at the thought of him and Bella being like that in 20 years. "Mom, Dad, I'd like to speak to you for a moment if you don't mind."

"Of course, son, what is it?" Edward couldn't shake his nerves as he began to answer his father.

"Isabella and I spoke for a while last night about what we were going to do about the large distance between us. Neither of us can bear the idea of being without the other, and the thought of watching her get on that train tomorrow, even if it is for a short time, is killing me. I know this is soon, but Isabella and I want to get married and I was hoping you'd give me your blessing as well as Gram's ring so I can propose properly."

Edward took a deep breath as he looked at his parents, waiting for any type of response. It took a moment, but his mother held out her hand as his father straightened his leg so he could fish something out of his pocket and hand it to her. "I had your father get this out of the safe deposit box this afternoon on his way home for lunch. I had a feeling you'd be asking for it."

Esme held out the box and Edward took it in his shaking hand as he opened it to look at the ring he would be proposing to his love with. The setting was simple, four small square-cut diamonds with the fifth and largest stone nestled in the middle of them. He hoped that Isabella would like it, not knowing her taste in jewelry as she hadn't worn any this weekend. Deciding not to dwell on her reaction to the ring, Edward instead went upstairs to shower and get ready.

All the while, Bella sat in a chair in Alice's room staring at the dress hanging by her closet and the small bag sitting under it. Rosalie and Kate were both exceptionally kind to her during a weekend of sideways glances and whispered comments, and the dress they were lending her was proof of that. Though Isabella had convinced them to take it back when they met at the train station the following morning to head home, the bag that was a gift from the girls for winning in a man's sport made her slightly uneasy at the moment. "Don't worry, he'll be on the ground the minute he sees you." Alice's words of comfort allowed Bella's mind to relax as she thought ahead to the party and seeing some of these people for the last time.

As the petite girl she would someday love as a sister floated around her, pinning and spraying and setting curls, she looked to the mirror and was quite impressed by the way her hair looked. "Alice, I love what you did to my hair. You could do this for a living."

Alice blushed and began to work on her makeup. "Thanks, I've been thinking about working out of my house once Jasper and I get married."

The girls continued to bond as Alice worked her magic and finally helped Bella into her dress. Slipping her shoes on, Bella convinced Alice that she didn't need to be announced as she came down the stairs and instead began down the stairs alone.

Edward had gone downstairs when he had finished getting ready. Having managed to coif his hair into a manageable style, he struggled to keep his hands out of it as the ring burned a hole in his pocket. Pacing back and forth, it was the rustling of tulle that caused him to turn as Isabella walked down the stairs. His breath caught as she walked towards him in a cream dress with a black flower lace overlay and a sweetheart-shaped neckline with an inch wide gap between her bosoms filled with more black tulle and fanning up across the top of her chest.

Edward tried to avert his eyes from her chest, but the design of the dress made it hard as he shook his head and walked over to his Isabella. "You look divine, sweetheart. Are you ready to go?"

Isabella nodded as Carlisle and Esme joined the couple and Alice as she came downstairs. "Isabella, it was so wonderful having you visit this weekend, and I'm sure we'll be seeing you again in the near future." Bella smiled at Carlisle as he wrapped his arm around Esme who smiled warmly at Bella.

Alice threw her arms carefully around Bella and hugged her tightly. "I'm going to miss you, don't be a stranger."

Isabella laughed as Edward took her hand. "We better get going; I'll see you at work in the morning, father."

"Wait!" Alice ran over to the stairs and grabbed a small clutch and the bag from Kate and Rosalie.

Bella took the items from Alice and placed the bag in the backseat of the car as Edward closed the door on her side and ran around to climb in next to her. Once he was inside, Edward turned to Isabella and leaned over the console to steal a kiss. "I have to be the luckiest man alive to have you on my arm."

Edward drove to the Country Club and parked his car in the lot before leading Isabella away from the main entrance and towards the driving range. After a little positioning, Edward stepped away from Isabella as she stood on the grass overlooking the range. "Edward, what are we doing out here?"

"This is where we first met. When I rounded the corner of the building that afternoon, I never imagined my future would be standing in front of me, but now that's all I see when I look at you. When I was drafted, I endeavored to be the best soldier I could as I worked at the MASH, and now, as I look at you, I'm filled with the same drive. I want to be the best man and the best husband you could ever need. I know we've already spoken about this, but I had to do this properly. Isabella Swan, will you marry me?"

Edward pulled the ring box out of his pocket and opened it as he dropped to one knee. Isabella gasped and nodded uncontrollably as she blinked away the tears. Taking her left hand, he slipped on the ring and kissed her hand before taking her in his arms and kissing her in earnest. "I love you, Edward, and it would make me so happy to be your bride."

They kissed again and then Edward led Isabella towards the Clubhouse for the party. Walking in there was a general clamor as some people commented on the couple while others turned to discuss Isabella herself. Many of the men were still uppity about her win, and the fact that she walked in with her caddie made the women in the room buzz. Jessica and Lauren, the two girls from the bathroom, were clutching to Royce and hanging on his every word as he eyed the couple harshly. Edward caught his stare and narrowed his eyes at the 'gentleman' who turned and moved onto a different part of the room.

Not long after they arrived, Mr. Jenks approached the couple. "Miss Swan, they're going to be making the speech any moment and then it will be your job to open the dancing with Mr. Cullen."

Isabella smiled and took Edward's hand. "We'll be ready when they announce us."

Just at that moment, Mr. Varner walked over to the band and took the microphone. "Thank you all for coming tonight. We'd like to take this opportunity to thank Beech Knoll Country Club for hosting one of the most historic US Open's, and congratulate Miss Swan, who will be taking this trophy back with her to Washington for the year before it is returned to us. The play we saw this weekend was some of the best the tournament has ever witnessed and we are proud that the first female golfer to compete was able to overcome the odds and pull out a stunning victory."

Edward growled low behind Isabella as he whispered into her ear. "There was nothing stunning about your victory, you were in command the entire weekend and played some great golf. Your gender has nothing to do with it."

Bella ran her hands over his forearms where they were laced around her waist. "Calm down, darling, he's trying. Besides, I think your view of me is a little biased."

Edward chuckled as Mr. Varner welcomed her to open the dancing. Taking one of the hands he had resting on her stomach, Isabella led Edward onto the floor where he pulled her close and began leading the dance. To say she was surprised at his ability was an understatement, but with a mother like Esme and a sister as perky as Alice, many afternoons had been spent with Edward standing in for dance lessons.

They twirled and floated as other couples took to the floor and the focus was finally off of Isabella, something she was grateful for. Over the course of the evening, the couple danced and ate the finger food provided as they chatted with the Logan's and the McCarthy's, who were both over the moon at Isabella's newest accessory. The Volturi brothers both came over to congratulate Bella, with only Aro sounding sincere as Siobhan and Liam O'Hare also offered much more heartfelt praise.

When much of the night's festivities were finished, Isabella went to Kate to double check when they would meet her at the train station as they would be riding with her through Chicago before heading off to another tournament. With the meeting arranged, Isabella found Mr. Jenks to firm up the shipment of the official trophy delivered to her home course in Port Angeles while her personal replica was to be sent to the Cullen's house under the strictest of confidence.

With the business handled, Isabella met Edward outside where he had the car waiting for them. He drove to the hotel parking lot for the last time and then walked arm in arm with his fiancée as they came to the woods. Leading her to the door, she opened the clutch and retrieved the key, unlocking the door and turning to lock it behind them. As soon as the key was replaced in her purse Edward's hands were on her waist and his lips were on her shoulder. She spun around and his lips found hers, a fierceness that had never been there before was now shared as he pressed her into the door.

When they broke apart for air a few minutes later, Edward rested his forehead against hers. "I've wanted to do that since the moment you sunk the final putt, but we haven't been alone until this moment. God, I'm so proud of you. You played beautifully and then you made me the happiest man alive by agreeing to be mine…you continue to leave me in awe of you." Just then a yawn escaped Bella's lips as she tried to hide it, but Edward simply laughed. "It's alright, sweetheart, go change for bed and I'll do the same out here, it has been a long day."

Isabella blushed and grabbed her present from the girls and her robe. Edward found his bag from the previous night. He pulled out his pajamas and dressed quickly so as not to embarrass his bride to be. Feeling the chill in the room, he went to the small fireplace and stoked a fire to keep them warm.

Edward was finishing his handiwork when he felt Isabella's hand on his bare shoulder. He turned to look at her and then stood up when he took in her appearance. Isabella was standing behind him in a thin sky blue nightgown. The gauzy material had a little detailing on the waist and bodice with the skirt flowing down to her knee.

The stirring he felt was making it hard for him to find his words at first, but when Isabella ran her hands up his chest and then down his arms, he was able to find his voice. "Isabella, what are you doing?"

"Edward, please, I can't bear the thought of being away from you for weeks and weeks. We haven't had enough time together. Please, I want to be with you before I have to leave you."

Her tears tore at Edward's heart, but he didn't want his weakness to injure her. He pulled her to his chest and stroked her back soothingly. "Darling, we will be together soon, but I can't take your-"

"But I want you to! I want the memory of us with me when I go home tomorrow. I want to close my eyes and feel your arms around me because I've experienced it. Please."

Edward kissed her but then pulled back, looking into her eyes. "How can I say no to you when you ask me like that?"

"Don't. You have my heart and my future, now I want to give you the only thing I have left to give."

With those words his resolve crumbled as his lips found hers and he scooped her into his arms and carried her towards the bed. "If you change your mind or you feel uncomfortable, please tell me."

"I will." Isabella whispered as she started kissing along his jaw. Sliding his arms up her waist, he ghosted his fingers across her breast, causing her to shiver as her nipples pebbled under his fingertips. Their kisses became more insistent as her hands found the hem of his shirt and began to pull it up. Edward helped her get it off and then found her lips again as they tumbled backwards, their arms wrapped around the other as they followed the actions of their bodies.

Edward could feel Isabella's hands trying to lift up her nightgown, but he halted her actions. Standing up, he pulled down his pants and then slowly lifted the fabric, relishing in the feel of her skin and the sight of her body. As the garment fell to the floor, he took in her nearly naked form and a shiver of anticipation came over him as he kissed down the column of her neck and found his way to the valley between her breasts. "Ever since you came down the stairs in that dress tonight, I dreamed of this sliver of skin…you are magnificent my love." His lips found her nipple as she gasped and bucked into him, causing a gasp of his own at the flash of heat he felt from her most private of parts. Edward lavished attention on his Isabella as her hands roamed his shoulders, back and hair, caressing him wherever she could reach.

As he could no longer put it off, Edward pulled up and kissed Isabella briefly before he held her eyes with his own. "Are you ready, sweetheart?"

A coy smile and nod was all the encouragement he needed as he stepped out of his undergarments and was met by his betrothed's wide eyes. He smiled at her reaction to his manhood as he helped her out of her own undergarments and then joined her back on the bed. Pulling the covers back, he settled between her partially parted legs and pushed her hair behind her ear. Lowering himself above her, he kissed her tenderly as he lined himself up with her womanhood and paused as he looked at Bella. She reached up and stroked his cheek as he slowly pushed into her.

He moved slowly, allowing her to adjust to his size until he met the evidence of her innocence. Taking a steadying breath, he kissed her as he continued; her gasp and whimper breaking the kiss as Edward held onto Isabella until she was ready for him to move forward. When she recovered, he pushed on until he was completely encased in his love. At that point he needed a moment to adjust to the sensations he felt before moving forward.

They moved slowly, rising to meet each other as they found a unique rhythm and found themselves awash in feelings they never dreamed of. As they got closer to their peaks, the pace increased as the small cabin was filled with the sounds of their pleasure. Isabella's explosion caught them both off guard as it sent Edward into a similar ecstasy, filling her with his essence and leaving them both breathless as he rested his weight on her for a moment to regain his strength.

When the time came for them to redress and go to sleep, Isabella refused to let Edward stray far from her, falling asleep on his chest with one of her legs wrapped around his.

The next morning, they woke up to the blissful afterglow of the nights events. That, however, was short lived as they had a lot to do before heading out to the train station. When Isabella went to stand she hissed and Edward sat up, concerned as she tried to shake him off. "I'm a little sore, that's all."

Getting up to shower, Edward packed his few belongings and took out his last clean outfit so he could dress after his shower. When Isabella reemerged in her robe, her wet hair falling around her, Edward smiled and kissed her as he headed into the bathroom with his clothes.

Taking a quick shower, he saw Isabella placing the final pin in her bun, her face perfectly done in her minimal makeup and a frilly blouse and long pleated skirt gracing her petite frame. Edward still found himself in awe of her as he walked over and brushed the back of his fingers across the back of her neck. "I love when you wear your hair in a bun; it exposes that gorgeous neck of yours."

Isabella laughed as she went to the pantry, but Edward stopped her. "Allow me; you have to get all your things together."

She tipped up to kiss him before taking out her suitcase and placing all her possessions in, double checking under the bed and all the drawers before moving onto the bathroom. When she was confident that she had everything, she sat it by the door with her carryon, which held her purse, on top of it.

She took the hamper with the towels and brought it over to the bed, where she stripped the sheets and sat them in there before joining Edward for breakfast. "I hope you don't mind, but I told Mr. Jenks to have my replica trophy delivered to your house. It seemed silly to have it shipped to Washington just to move it back here when I…Edward, where are we going to live when I come back?"

Edward smirked; this was something he had already thought about. "Jasper just made a down payment on a little place for Alice and him, but with the wedding in August, he'll be moving out soon to live in their new home before Alice moves in after the wedding. So the apartment over the store will be free, and I could stay with my folks for propriety's sake until we set a date, but that's entirely up to you."

"Don't even joke about that, I'm not moving clear across the country to see you from my window every day."

They both laughed and then Edward looked at his watch and shook his head. "We should get to the station soon; we want everything taken care of so I can see you off."

Isabella looked down and took a deep breath. "Edward, please don't take this the wrong way, but I don't want you to wait at the station. It's raining and I don't want the last time I see you to be sopping wet and cold."

Edward didn't like the idea of losing the little time he had left with her, but he would do what she asked. "If it will make it easier."

"Nothing will make this easier. I don't want to leave you. I hate that I'll miss your birthday and that it'll be weeks before I get to hear you say my name or see you smile, but I have to. I don't want to say good-bye to you." Edward took Isabella in his arms and hugged her to him.

"This isn't good-bye. I will be there as soon as I'm able. Be strong, my Isabella, the time will be short."

Gathering her belongings, they headed to the car and drove to the station. Edward got her ticket and checked her bag as Rosalie checked the dress Isabella had returned. Once that was handled, Edward kissed Isabella and then hugged her for a moment before wiping away the lone tear. "The next time you see me will be the beginning of forever, I'm not going to be separated from you again. I love you, Miss Swan."

"I love you too, Edward Cullen, with everything I have."

Isabella stepped back and Emmett stood behind her. "We'll take good care of your girl as long as she's in our company."

"Thank you." Edward shook both men's hands before taking Isabella's and kissing her ring.

It took everything within him not to break down before he reached the car, but he didn't hold it in a second longer. He drove home in anguish that he had to walk away from her and pulled into the driveway with the intention of sleeping the day away. Upon walking in the door, Alice ran at him. "Mom, he's home!"

Edward shook his head as he tried to walk past her. "Alice, I'm not in the mood this morning, can this wait?"

"No it can't, you have a train to catch." Edward spun around at his mother's voice and saw the envelope in her hand. "Happy Birthday, Edward."

He ran to her and saw the ticket for Washington and an additional fifteen dollars in the envelope. "Mom, this is a week's pay at the store, I can't take this."

"You can and you will. Edward, you love her and I won't see you mope around while you wait for the money and the coverage at the store, now go upstairs and grab your mad money so you won't run out while you're there and send us a telegram when you're ready to come home and we'll send you the money for the ticket."

"How were you two able to do this?"

"I talked to Daddy and he said if we could get you there, he would bring you home, now grab some cash and take your duffle over there and catch that train!" Edward caught sight of his army duffle and hugged both his sister and his mother before he went upstairs and took the $7.25 he had in his sock drawer and then put both that and the money from his family into his wallet and with the ticket in one hand and his bag in the other, Esme and Alice drove him to the station.

He checked his bag in with the young man by the train, making sure it was near Isabella's as they were some of the few taking the train for the duration of the trip. The cars had already begun seating so with one final hug from his family; he ran onto the train and began searching for the group of people he knew would be surrounding his love. At the sight of Emmett, he slowed down and heard his boisterous laugh. "Girls, you better sit by us, because I believe Isabella may be getting a better offer."

Isabella turned and gasped as the girls made way for him to sit beside her. "Edward, what are you doing here?"

"What did I say about the next time you saw me, looks like forever is coming a little early, but I couldn't have asked for a better birthday present."

"Alice?" Isabella beamed.

"And my parents. Now you won't have to talk to your parents alone, it will be one more thing we face together."

As they kissed, the train rocked into motion as the journey to Washington began.

**The final scores!**

**Name R1 R2 R3 R4 Total**  
**Miss Swan 74(+3) 70(-1) 74(+3) 71(E) 289(+5)**  
**King 72(+1) 70(-1) 75(+4) 73(+2) 290(+6)**  
**McCarthy 71(E) 73(+2) 75(+4) 71(E) 290(+6) **  
**O'Hare 74(+3) 72(+1) 74(+3) 73(+2) 292(+8)**  
**A. Volturi 74(+3) 71(E) 74(+3) 74(+3) 293(+9)**


	6. Epilogue: A Life Well Played

A/N: There will be no appearances by famous golfers in the story, but it is hard to write this without mentioning a few in passing. All those players who are actively in the story are fake…except John Robert, or Johnny as his grandma calls him, he is a nod to my dad, who isn't famous, but loves the game and was my font of information in this story. The win you all cheered was of his creation as he helped me write both believable and entertaining golf. Thanks also to my beta and friend A Cullen Wannabe for all her love, support and letting me beta for her too which has brought me a lot of peace during a crazy few months. And, to Mizzdee who stepped in when I needed her to get this chapter out, as ACW wasn't able to for personal reasons. This was never expected to be a huge success, mainly because I didn't think golf would get a huge draw, but the ones who have stuck with me, left me reviews and let me know how much you liked this little labor of love have meant the world to me. This was a story I felt compelled to tell.

When you see: ~%~%~ that is the fade in and out of the memories.

One last thing, I know that you all know about Tiger's story, but Phil Michelson is the number 2 golfer in the world and in June of 2009, he almost missed the US Open because his wife was having surgery as part of her treatment for breast cancer. For the last year he has played as her treatments have allowed and when he won the Masters this year it was a sweet moment because his wife was there and doing well and it was his triumphant return to the game with a clearer mind. This will come in briefly at the beginning of the chapter, but I didn't want you to question it.

**Epilogue: A Life Well Played  
**

The morning of the 2010 Masters Par-Three Contest was cool, but sunny as the competitors started their day. Isabella Cullen rolled over in her husband's arms and smiled as she thought over the last 53 years of marriage. Today was a big day for her; it had been 54 years since she played professionally and was only playing today at the request of the PGA, and her grandson.

Most of her family had descended on the town of Augusta, Georgia, which was the annual host of the Masters, and considered the official start of the season, to watch her make history alongside her eldest grandson, who turned pro after winning the US Open the previous year. Much like his grandmother had a half-century before him.

Edward stirred next to her and she laughed as he squeezed her frame close to his chest and kissed her shoulder. "Today's your big day, are you ready, darling?"

"I'll be a blip on SportsCenter, and PTI and Around the Horn will give me a moment's notice, but more because of Johnny than me." Isabella knew that the major story this week was not the golf, but the return of one of the games greats after a very public fall from grace. Being asked to comment, Bella smiled politely and told the reporters that it was a private matter and not knowing the people involved, she wouldn't speculate.

The game of golf had changed greatly in the last 50 years and though she was happy to see the game she loved grow in popularity since her time, the hounding of players as though they were celebrities or royalty, however, made her uneasy and concerned for her grandchild and his family as he could potentially be subjected to the same scrutiny as his career progressed.

It was easy to see the unease that had overcome her and Edward went to her, not knowing what had caused it. "Bella, what is it?"

She shook her head and smiled weakly. "I was just thinking about the media coverage and how unfair it is that Tiger and Phil and the rest get hounded like that. I never had to deal with that, but could you imagine if we had been followed like that?"

"Are you comparing us falling in love with what _he_ did? I have no sympathy for a man who cheats on his wife. He should have divorced her if he was that unhappy."

"What about Phil and Amy? Do they deserve it?"

Edward sighed as he pulled Bella closer. "No, but they've managed to handle themselves with dignity and Johnny will be the same way when they turn their focus his way, so please stop worrying about things that haven't even happened yet."

Bella smiled to herself and went to get ready for the day. The par-3 contest was a special day for the player as it was more about the fun than the trophy, many players using their children as their caddies as her grandson would; Isabella chose to use the same caddie that had spent the last half-century by her side.

Leaving the bathroom, Edward smiled at his bride and placed his hand on the small of her back as they left on the way to the course.

Pulling into the gate of Augusta National, she reached over and took his hand. "What if I'm horrible? I'm not sure I'll be able to make it over all the water that comes into play on this course."

"Darling, people want to see you play. It's understandable that you won't hit like you did at 20, but that isn't the point. A whole new generation will get to see the first woman to win a major tournament play for themselves."

Isabella smiled at his encouragement as they entered the clubhouse and found JR waiting for them. "Grandma, you ready to get out there and play?"

"I am, how are you feeling this morning?"

"Great! The kids are so excited." Isabella and Edward were so happy to hear that their great grandchildren were anticipating the day out on the course. As they collected their bags and headed out to the first hole, Bella remembered a journey home from another golf course half a lifetime ago.

~%~%~

For three days, Edward and I sat on the train in the cocoon of our engagement, before the train made its way to Seattle. The morning of our arrival, I woke first, three hours before our scheduled arrival with a nervous stomach. Accidentally waking Edward as I tried to make my way to the restroom to freshen up, I returned to a concerned fiancé. "Sweetheart, are you all right? You've been feeling worse the longer we've been on the train."

Smiling at my love and his obvious concern, I answered him. "It isn't the train, simply the fewer miles that lie between us and Seattle, the worse I feel."

He pulled me close and stroked my back. "Bella, it will be a shock for them, but they will see firsthand just how much I love you."

With that comment, I sank into his side and tried to relax for the remainder of the ride.

As the train pulled into the stop, I fidgeted uncontrollably as we gathered our carry-ons and made it to where we could collect our baggage in the station. Having grabbed all of our luggage, including my golf clubs, Edward and I stepped out into the sunlight only to come face to face with my parents.

"Isabella! Congratulations, sweetheart." My father pulled me into one of his rare hugs as his eyes drifted to Edward. "Thank you, son, for helping our daughter, but we have it from here."

My dad went to take the bags from Edward when I stopped him. "Daddy, this is Edward Cullen. He was my caddie during the tournament and now, well…he's my fiancé."

Charlie's eyes darted between the two of us, but it was my mother that acted first. She moved forward and grabbed my arm, pulling me away from the men.

Edward's eyes were glued to me, but a clearing of his soon to be father-in-law's throat brought him back to the current situation, although I could hear him as my mother began her rant. "Sir, I know this is a shock and I wish I could have asked for your blessing before I asked her to marry me. However, I wasn't sure that I'd be able to make the trip with her and I wanted Bella to know just how much she meant to me before she got on that train. I love your daughter, Chief Swan, and I would never do anything to hurt her."

"Isabella Marie Swan, listen to me!" I looked to see my mother enraged. "What is the matter with you? You were gone for little more than a week and you forgot everything your father and I taught you? This boy is only going to hurt you!"

"No he isn't. I'm wearing his grandmother's ring on my finger and he traveled clear across the country so he could show you and Dad how much he loves me. Why can't you see that?"

"We'll discuss this later, but don't expect to be living in sin in my house." As soon as my mother stormed off to the car, I felt Edward's hand on my back before he handed me his handkerchief.

"Are you okay, my love?" I looked up to see the fear in his eyes that I may not find him worth the trouble.

"We'll be fine. Let's just get home."

Edward and I walked to the car and my mother was waiting by the back seat. "Get in, Isabella."

Sliding into the backseat, my mother got in next to me as Edward and my father packed the trunk and then got in the front seat.

For the entire ride home, there was an uncomfortable silence and the entire day after my mother refused to talk to either of us. After dinner, there was a set of sheets and pillows on the couch, even though we had an additional bedroom that Edward could have used. I was livid at seeing that, but Edward told me that it was fine and that we'd work it out.

While my mother was gone the next day, my father took the opportunity to play a round of golf with Edward, claiming he would get to know him better on the course than he could talking to him at the house. During the time, I had by myself, I went through my room and began packing.

I took out my steamer trunk and began layering clothes with my belongings, using the clothing to wrap the more delicate items so they would survive the trip. I knew we still had another four days here until Edward had to leave so he could return to the store, unwilling to leave his father in the lurch for more than two weeks, and I now refused to stay behind. I knew that he was where I belonged and I wasn't going to live without him based on the assumptions of my mother.

I was about halfway through my dresser when there was a knock on my door. "Come in."

I knew it was too early for the boys to be home and I was ready to have this conversation with my mother. "Isabella, what are you doing?"

"Packing. Edward and I have to be on a train back to Rochester in a few days and I want to make sure that everything of value makes the journey with us."

My mother caught my hands and I looked up to see a torn expression on her face. "This is my fault. If I hadn't pushed you and told you that no man would want to marry you with your hobby then you wouldn't be throwing away your future on the first man to show you any interest."

I pulled my hands from hers and continued my chore. "That isn't what happened. From the moment I meant him, Edward has been there to help, protect, and _love_ me. I know it was fast, but that doesn't make it any less true. Don't think so little of me mother, I wouldn't go with anyone just because they showed some _interest_."

"There's no need to be crude, Isabella!" my mother snapped at the innuendo.

"And there's no need to be cruel, mother. I'm not an idiot and I'm also an adult, who is free to make my own choices. Now Edward and I are getting married, and it would mean the world to me if you and daddy came, but it will not change my decision in any of this if you continue to belittle our relationship."

Turning back to my task, I could feel her watching me. "Where are you staying when you move back to New York?"

"Edward's father owns a grocery store and there's an apartment above it. We'd be living there so he only had to go downstairs to make it to work in the morning. His sister's fiancé lived there until he had saved to buy their house so it's vacant at the moment."

"When would you be getting married?" There was still an air of condescension in her question but she was asking them, which was more than she had been since I got off the train.

"We hadn't discussed it, but we became close with a few of the golfers and their wives and we would like them there, so it would have to be in the winter, before the season starts again."

"What will you do? You would be out there all alone and Edward will be at work all day."

I smiled as I recognized that she was nervous about how I would cope without my family, which meant that she was accepting it. "Esme, Edward's mom is there and so is his sister. They're great and when you meet them and see the support system I'll have around me, you'll see that I will be fine. Plus, I'll have Edward, and he's the most important part. Mother, he's a good man, and he loves me. Please, see that."

My mother took in a stuttering breath and I turned again to see her near tears. "I'm just going to miss you so much. But you aren't a child and I will have to trust your judgment here."

We finished packing my things and when my father and Edward arrived home, he was shocked by how close my mother and I were. The next few days passed faster than I would have liked, and soon we were on platform waiting to go home. With hugs and promises to speak to each other and write as often as we could, Edward and I boarded the train for home.

~%~%~

"Bella?" She turned to Edward and smiled.

"Sorry, I was just remembering the trip back to Washington after the last tournament. Are we up?"

"Yes, here's your club." She took her club from Edward and smiled at him one last time as she stepped up to the tee and took her swing. Her shot landed just short of the green, the applause of the gallery was welcoming as she watched Johnny's shot land a few yards of the hole.

Taking her second swing, the ball rolled near the hole, allowing her to tap it in and walk off the first green with a raised hand to the adoring crowd.

Standing off to the side as JR teed off on the second hole, Bella's mind drifted back through the years once more.

~%~%~

Alice was blurring around me as she worked to get everything setup in the main room, Esme had been sitting with me as I finished up the last of my hair and makeup, the large carnation tucked into my bun. A few loose pieces framed my face as Esme helped me into my tea-length dress, its tiny circular lace pattern holding my attention as the zipper clicked up until I was ready to walk down the aisle. The knock on the door pulled me from my thoughts as I turned to see my parents. My mother was crying and the smile on my father's face told the story of the past few days.

They had come to know the Cullen's over the last few months, Esme insisting on corresponding with my mother so she knew I was well taken care of here. Esme kissed my cheek as Alice popped in to grab both of our bouquets so I could have a private moment with my parents.

"You look so lovely, my dear."

I smiled and tried to keep from crying. "Thank you, mom. I'm so glad you were both able to make it."

"We wouldn't miss our only daughter's wedding. It doesn't matter how far she is from us now. The course isn't the same without you, Bella."

I laughed at my father's attempt at levity. "Dad, you played with two of the tour's best players and your soon to be son-in-law yesterday, I'm sure I pale in comparison."

"Hush. Now, they're ready for you out there, so how about we get you out there to your husband."

My mom sobbed as the knock came at the door. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but it's time. Renee, would you like to come with me so we can find our seats?"

My mother hugged me one more time and then left with Esme, barely holding in her tears.

Taking my father's offered hand, I walked out of the bride's room and met Alice at the door to the smaller hall at the Rochester Club Ballroom; the larger room was already set for the reception.

With my bouquet of calla lilies and roses in hand, Alice vanished into the hall as the music began. When the change in the song occurred, I took a deep breath and looked at my father. Offering a small nod, he walked me through the doorway and into the hall. There was a quiet commotion and the distinct flashing of the photographer's lens, but I saw nothing but Edward.

He stood rooted at the altar, his eyes transfixed on my own as I glided to him with a grace I'd never known. The suit he wore was simple by most standards, but that was my Edward. It was jet black with a thin tie, his father's tie clip holding it in place and focusing my attention on his chest for a moment. Sweeping my eyes over his lower half and the pants and shoes that encased his muscular legs, I looked back to see the smirk on his face. His hand reached out to me and I felt my father take my hand from where it was tucked into his arm and place it in Edward's as the preacher asked who gave me away.

The ceremony was brief as we spoke the same words that had been uttered by countless couples before, and would continue to be spoken for years to come. When his lips touched mine, I got a little carried away, but his chuckle against my lips brought me back to the moment.

As Edward held me to him, the opening bars of "Unforgettable" played and I had never felt more loved. He was amazing and today he was mine. That was the only thought that played in my mind. The dance with my father was bittersweet, he really wasn't a crier, but he shed more than a few on the dance floor.

The rest of the evening passed with good friends and good wine and soon it was Edward and I off to parts unknown, to me at least, for our honeymoon.

~%~%~

Bella smiled to herself as she walked up to the third tee. JR was talking to her great-grandchildren, reminding her of a time when babies were all she could think of as well. Holding her hand out for the club that she knew Edward was offering her, she smiled at where her thoughts took her.

~%~%~

Edward had been working so hard the past few weeks since arriving home from our honeymoon that I hadn't been seeing much of him, as my stomach was quite upset and sending me to bed before he came up from the store. On this night, I had gone to sleep so early that as Edward's weight dipped the bed down, I shifted and my stomach went wrong. I was soon bent over the commode with Edward kneeling beside me. "Bella, are you ill?" I nodded and he brushed my hair away from my face. "How long?"

"It's been a few weeks, but it isn't much, just an upset stomach and it's mainly in the morning."

Awakening dawned on me as Edward whispered my name. "Edward, call the doctor. I think we may be with child, my love."

Edward was kissing my hair as we returned to bed.

It took a few days for the results to arrive, but when they did, my darling husband, in-laws and even my doctor conspired to keep me in bed. I tried to convince Edward that I could function, but both of them were pushing for me to at least stay on bed rest until my second trimester.

~%~%~

Looking over at her Johnny, as he sank his putt on the third green made her smile. His father, Joseph, was the first of five beautiful children Edward and Bella had together and that pregnancy was the easiest of the lot.

While Isabella and Edward walked from the third green over to the fourth tee, with JR and the kids as well as the photographers in tow, Edward's mind drifted to a very different pregnancy.

~%~%~

I felt truly blessed in the short years that Bella and I had been married. We had two amazing children and a third on the way and we had finally saved enough to buy a house for us, as the apartment would soon have a fifth occupant. This pregnancy had gone so well for us, much like Joseph's, giving me a little hope that it might be a boy, although another little girl like my Linda would be a blessing as well. As long as mother and child were healthy, I wasn't going to be picky.

Bella was now six months along and she was the picture of perfection as her belly was rounded with my child. With a two and a half year old and a 20-month old calling out and crying for her, Alice had practically moved in with us as she and my mom took turns helping Bella out. When Alice was here, it was insanity with Brandon running around now and urging his cousins to join in on the action.

It was on that day, with the pitter-patter of little feet overhead that our world changed forever.

I was packing out the produce that had just arrived on the truck when my father walked over to me. "Son, the Western Union man is here for you." I could see the confusion on his face and I am sure it matched my own. There was no reason for someone to send a telegram when the phone would do. I walked out front and met the older gentleman and tipped him as he handed me the paper. Opening it up, I felt my heart drop into my feet.

The telegram, from the family attorney, stated that Mr. and Mrs. Charles Swan had been killed in an automobile accident the previous day. He requested that we call him with respect to the handling of business before we traveled out for the funeral. How would I ever tell Bella?

Walking past my father, I climbed the stairs to the apartment to find Alice chasing the children around as she tried to convince them to nap. Still searching for an answer, I helped my sister get the kids to bed and felt her hand reach out and take mine. "It's bad, isn't it?"

I nodded and she wrapped me in a hug. "How'd you know?"

"You don't leave work mid-day to put the kids down for a nap, and you look so lost."

"Where is Bella?"

Alice took a deep breath and motioned towards the bedroom door. "She wasn't feeling well, so I was able to get her to lie down."

Thanking my sister, I went into the bedroom and saw my angel lying on top of the covers. Unable to disturb her, I simply watched her sleep, knowing that when she opened her eyes I would be breaking her heart. As if she felt my presence, her eyes fluttered open and she looked at me with worried eyes. "What is it? Did something happen to the kids?"

I moved to the bed and tried to calm her. "Bella, the kids are fine. Please, I need you to calm down. I have some bad news." She took a shaky breath and then nodded for me to continue. "There was an accident in Washington…darling, your parents didn't make it."

Bella started to hyperventilate as the tears fell. "Oh, my God. How will we…? When can we…? I'm not going to get to say good-bye. It's too expensive and I'm too far along and…"

Bella broke off into loud sobs as I held her. "Darling, I am so sorry. Why don't I call your doctor and see if he can come and see you."

"What? Edward, I'm not going on bed rest again. I promise it'll be okay. Just call and make the arrangements for me. My father made most of the decisions already, but you'll need to have someone handle the house and everything. That's going to be a lot of work, but the lawyer should be able to help you with that."

I sat there as she rambled; trying to hold it together and it nearly killed me. I knew she wanted to be involved in this, but it would be so stressful and I knew she believed it was bad luck for her to be there. Renee had instilled all of those superstitions in her and now she was going to have to mourn her parents from across the country.

After a call to the attorney, I realized just how difficult it would be to do this from where we were, and it was that night as Bella and I lay in bed that I asked her something I didn't want to. "Bella, I think I'm going to have to make the trip to Washington, unless you know someone who could arrange all of this, I think it would be too difficult to trust that it would all make it here."

"If you think its best, then you should handle it. I trust your judgment." I now knew what I would be doing tomorrow; I would speak to my father about renting a U-Haul and driving across country to pack up my in-law's things while my pregnant wife stayed behind.

~%~%~

"Edward, sweetheart?" Edward turned to see the concern now in Bella's eyes.

"I'm sorry, just remembering when you were pregnant with Kathleen."

"And your cross-country drive?"

He nodded and she smiled, taking his hand as she paused to sign a few autographs near the fifth hole. As Bella's mind continued to wander to thoughts of her parents' untimely deaths, it brought up the memory of the time a few months later when they put much of her parent's things to good use.

~%~%~

It was a long night prior for us as our darling children all had caught their cousin Brandon's cold. It didn't help that the moving van would soon be pulling up to pack the boxes and furniture to move it across town. The items that had been in storage since Edward arrived home from Washington were already at our new home, now it was simply time to get everything settled.

I had finally settled into a restful sleep when I heard the light tapping of my son's feet. "Mama, Linda got sick on the floor." The soft whine was so heartbreaking coming from my 3-year-old.

"I'll come and clean it up. Your mama's sleeping, little man."

I smiled as I felt Edward begrudgingly roll out of bed and follow my son, only to hear the "Oh my God," a minute later that woke Kathleen from her crib at the foot of our bed.

Getting up myself, I looked at the clock to see it was 4:30. Realizing there wasn't much point in trying to sleep; I went into the kitchen and started some coffee. When Kathleen was finally back in her crib, I stripped our bed and put them in the hamper that I was brining to the new house to do our first load of laundry in our brand new appliances. It was such a joy to have new things that were truly what Edward and I wanted.

I could hear the tub and knew that Linda was probably a mess, so I collected the sheets from the kids' room along with their clothes and sat everything by the door. It was a sad thing to look at the our first home together and see it all boxed up, but the new home was truly ours and it was something we could grow into, with four large bedroom, so having siblings share a room wouldn't be as hard as it was now.

It was a sad thing to think of all the benefits that came from it, but my parents' passing and the sale of their home and car in Washington meant we had been able to get a house that was nicer than what we had originally thought of and left us with a nice little nest egg to boot.

Edward walked into the kitchen for his coffee and smiled at me, knowing what was on my mind. "It'll be okay, sweetheart. Most of the things here will not be coming with us and with our family's help we will be moved in in no time."

I sighed and melted into his side as he squeezed my shoulder. Edward and his parents had been handling most of the preliminary work at the new house, like painting and such because I was home with the kids, so I would be seeing some of these changes for the first time this morning.

A knock disturbed our revelry as Edward went to let in his parents. Edward and Carlisle were going to be directing traffic at the apartment so they were still close to the store if they were needed, while Esme and I were going to be in charge at the new house. The kids were going to Alice and Jasper's so there wouldn't be any problems with the children getting under foot.

With the kids safely away, we began with my laundry so the stains wouldn't set and then waited for the truck to arrive, putting away a few suitcases of the kids' clothes while we waited as they had new furniture in the new house as, for the moment at least, they were all getting their own rooms.

When the truck arrived, we were able to maneuver everything where it needed to go and then were left alone as the truck pulled away, the boys now helping out at the store so they could come over early from work.

Esme and I got the children's rooms done before lunch and then we moved to the kitchen, knowing that dinner would have to be prepared tonight. When the guys showed up that afternoon, we were arranging little knick knacks in the living room, my clothes having found their home, but Edward's still in his suitcases as he was particular about them. It was truly a blessing that so much had been done in the lead up to the move, because I was exhausted and didn't want to think about tomorrow when I would be completing the bathrooms and the remainder of the living room and bedroom without the extra set of hands.

Esme and Carlisle stayed for dinner and Alice came over with the kids, Jasper not arriving until it was nearly time to leave. I was exhausted when I climbed the stairs; putting the kids to bed and settling Kathleen in the room next door, still not certain I liked her being so far away.

Walking into the bedroom, Edward was finally finished with his things and had surprised me by hanging up a few of the photos that I wanted up, giving me one less chore for the next day.

Climbing into bed next to him, Edward curled up to me and sighed as he took a whiff of my hair. "Welcome home, Mrs. Cullen."

~%~%~

Isabella smiled fondly as they collected their bags. The clubs and the length of the walk starting to wear on Johnny's younger kids in the same spot it usually did for the young caddies in this event. A cheer from ahead alerted them to the good shot of Phil Michelson, who was a few groups ahead of them playing with Emmett, who had also been asked to go to the festivities this year.

Walking the few short feet to the sixth green, Bella prepared herself for another attempt over DeSoto Springs Pond, her mind once again drifting to the young man playing with her.

~%~%~

Edward had been pacing for a good hour and a half and he was beginning to give me a headache. "Darling, sit down. Your grandson won't come any sooner for your pacing."

He stopped at my words and sat beside me, a soft chuckle coming from Kate who sat holding hands with Garrett. We would have never guessed it 24 years ago that our friend on that fateful weekend would turn out to be family to us, their sweet Patty marrying Joseph.

The two of them had been in the delivery room for a few hours, which only seemed to truly worry Edward as he had such a hard time during my pregnancies, you would have thought he was the one who had given birth.

We were still sitting in the waiting room three hours later when he fully lost it. "Bella, they move you into the delivery room when you're close and she's been in there for five, what if something is wrong, they would have no reason to tell us."

"If something was wrong, they would have kicked Joseph out so he wouldn't upset Patty, he'd be here freaking out because he couldn't be with his wife…nothing is wrong, it's just a long birth. It runs in Katie's family." We both turned to Garrett, only to see the intense look on his face; he knew this from experience. Kate had a difficult delivery and wasn't able to have more children after Patty, so if anyone would have an idea about when we should worry it would be them. That seemed to calm Edward for a while.

Another hour and Joseph came running into the waiting room with his father's million-watt crooked smile. "He's perfect; Jonathan Robert Cullen is absolutely perfect."

We all jumped up and hugged him as he brought us back to the private room that Patty and Johnny had been moved to. Walking into the room, we all exploded into a series squeals as Patty smiled weakly at us. For a few minutes, we spoke to her and took turns with our grandson. When Garrett passed him to me, I sat in one of the plastic chairs and Edward crouched next to me and beamed at us.

"You're a beautiful grandmother, love." His lips brushed my shoulder as I cradled the tiny bundle of joy to me. It was the happiest moment in my life up until that point…I was a grandma.

~%~%~

"Gram?" Bella turned to see Johnny behind her. "Are you feeling okay?"

"Yes Johnny, thank you for asking."

He leaned down to whisper so the galleries wouldn't hear. "You've been really thoughtful today, like something's bothering you."

"It's just been a long time since I've played like this and it's bringing back a lot of memories. I promise you, everything is fine."

"As long as you're sure. What do you say we ruin the rest of this walk?"

Bella laughed at just how much he was like his grandfathers as they turned towards the seventh tee and the last of the holes to not play over the water. They met up to Edward where he was talking to his great grandchildren, the thought on his mind written across his face.

~%~%~

It was a cold November morning, but otherwise the weather was perfect for a wedding. It was hard to believe it, but today our little Barbara was getting married, leaving Bella and I with an empty nest. My little girl was getting married today and I wasn't ready.

My darling wife thought it was adorable how pathetic I was acting, but from the time I was little, I'd always put my family first. It started with my sister, even when the man she chose was my war buddy, then with my Isabella. I had been drawn to her from the moment I rounded the pro shop at the Country Club and I never turned back. Once our children were born, it was a completely different feeling, I was their protector, their guardian and nothing would stop me from being there for them. But now that my little girl was grown up, I didn't know how to deal with the change in my position.

It was Bella emerging from the bathroom in her slip that shook me from my thoughts and curled the side of my lip. Five children and 35 years did nothing to diminish her beauty, or my need for her. I stood from the foot of the bed and wrapped my arms around her waist, my chin resting on her shoulder.

"You're a beauty, Mrs. Cullen. Any chance I might be able to get some private time with you before the excitement begins?"

Bella laughed at me and shook her head. "Sorry, Mr. Cullen, but if you're a good boy you'll remember that we're coming home to a completely empty house tonight."

Her innuendo was enough to ignite the fire as well as calm me into being as good as I could. The soft knock at the door broke us apart as Barbara walked in.

"I didn't mean to interrupt, but I need help getting my dress on if we're going to be on time to the church."

Bella smiled and followed her out as I put my tuxedo on and waited to get in the limo. Barbara had chosen her two sisters as well as Pam, her new sister-in-law, as her bridesmaids and they were now buzzing around upstairs as well.

Soon the door to her room opened and I heard the sound of several pairs of heels coming down the stairs, the last being Barbara in her stunning lace and silk gown. I walked over to her, taking her into my arms as I kissed her forehead. "You're a vision, just like your mother was at our wedding."

"Daddy, stop, I don't want to cry and mess up my make-up."

I laughed hard at her aunt's influence on her and took her hand as we walked out to the limo.

In no time, we were walking into the church as Bella left us to take her seat. The bridesmaids lined up with their groomsmen and started down the aisle as Barbara clung to my arm. "Don't let me trip, dad."

That brought another smile to my face, so like her mother. "I think we're up, bumble B."

She blushed at her old nickname as the music changed and we began our march. The walk to the altar was a lot shorter than I would have liked, but soon I was handing her over to her husband. As she tipped up to kiss my cheek, she whispered. "Thank you daddy, I love you."

I whispered an "I love you" and took a seat next to Bella. The ceremony was beautiful and in no time, my daughter was in my arms again as we shared our father/daughter dance. For that three and a half minutes we were the same as we were when she was three and I twirled her around our living room, or when she was fifteen and I taught her how to dance before her sweet sixteen. She was my baby and she always would be.

~%~%~

Edward followed behind Isabella and Johnny as they walked around the trees separating the 7th green from the 8th tee, and for the first time in a few holes was able to look at the leaderboard. It was a relief that it wouldn't be something that would worry his Bella, as even in personal games the score would stress her to the point where Edward not only refused to use a scorecard, but he also took to distracting her in delicious and evil ways, if you were ever to ask her.

But with that weight off her mind as her age surely kept her out of contention, he had no issue pulling her aside to show her his discovery.

"My dear, I think we may have another champion in the family."

Bella looked to Edward as he nodded in the direction of the scoreboard and gasped at the sight before her. At the top of the leaderboard, with a two-stroke lead going into the last two holes, was their own Johnny Cullen.

It brought tears to her eyes to see her beloved grandson so close to his second win, his first being the PGA Tour win that won him his spot here at the Masters. She wasn't even bothered that no one had ever won the Par 3 contest and then continued on to win the Masters the same weekend, because now that his outlook on a career in golf had changed, there was plenty of time for that. Even if once upon a time, he was against the idea.

~%~%~

Edward and I were spending a quiet evening at home, our kids having just left town that morning after coming in to visit Johnny and his very pregnant wife, Taylor.

Out of all of our children and grandchildren, Johnny stayed close, working at the original family store while playing as much golf as his schedule allowed. When his training seemed to take a more serious turn, I placed a call to Garrett, knowing that he would know the best way to get him ready for the tour.

Johnny kept saying that he didn't want to spend that kind of time away from his growing family, and that with all the potential for it not to work out, he would never ask Taylor to give up her position at the law firm to follow him on the tour.

It was a little sad for Garrett to see his talent not used as it could be, but I understood the desire to put his family ahead of the game, after all, I did it without ever looking back.

He was 20 years old; there was plenty of time for him to make these types of decisions. I was just glad to have him a few miles away…that boy was my heart and he knew it.

The day had been long and just after we turned in, the phone rang. Rolling over to get it, I reached over and picked it up as Edward mumbled something about never getting a good night's sleep. I picked up the handset and pressed the button as I brought it to my ear. "Hello?"

"Gram? You weren't asleep, were you? I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you, it's just…"

I sat up, rubbing my free hand over my face. "What is it Johnny? We just laid down, don't worry about it. Is Taylor okay?"

I heard him chuckle and could almost see his smile. "Taylor's fine, and so is your great-granddaughter."

"She had the baby?" My exclamation woke Edward as he sat up next to me, craning in to hear Johnny from the phone I now held between us.

"Yes she did, Margaret Isabella Cullen was born at 9:42pm."

I hadn't heard their name choices as Taylor wanted it to be a surprise, so hearing that she was named after me started the waterworks. Edward placed a kiss on my temple as he pulled me against him. "You did good, son. Now go spend some quality time with your wife and daughter and we'll come by in the morning. Congratulations."

"You too Pops." The line disconnected and Edward sat the phone down and pulled me close as we laid back down.

"We're lucky people, Bella. We've lived to see our great-grandchildren and are still young enough to enjoy it. What do you say we go to bed so we can wake up tomorrow and see if that little angel is as lovely as her namesake?"

I giggled at his sweetness and drifted off to sleep thinking of another baby I'd get to spoil.

~%~%~

Now that they were both aware of his chance at winning, Bella and Edward watched as he parred the 8th hole, bringing his lead down to one with a final hole to play. As they were in the last group, something that the TV producers had done so that they could have crews following all the favorites as well as the few all-time greats who had been invited to join them, the result of this final hole would determine if Johnny won. As long as he didn't bogey the final trip over Ike's Pond, he'd win the Par 3 contest.

Isabella took her first shot and was happy to see it reach the other side. Johnny's turn landed him a little further away, as he had too much spin on the ball, but it was still a salvageable shot. Now having to make the walk to the other side in view of the world, Johnny simply linked arms with his grandmother and walked with her like it was any other day.

~%~%~

It was a surprisingly mild February as we prepared for the huge 50th Anniversary party that our children had planned. If it had been up to me we would have had a nice dinner out and called it a day, but Edward agreed with our children that we, or I, should be celebrated at any opportunity and this was a perfect excuse for a family reunion. JR was handling the planning on this end, as he was the only one close enough to visit the venue, which was the large ballroom at Beech Knoll Country Club, the very room in which Edward and I shared our first dance at the closing ball 51 years ago.

My Johnny was being truly sneaky which was unlike him, and even my normal tactics weren't working as far as getting him to budge. It was moments like this that I wished that Esme and Carlisle were still with us, my beloved Esme would have wheedled it out of him. Losing her two years ago was a heavy blow for the Cullen family. Even though she lived to be 94, we were all shocked by her passing, but none more than Carlisle, who followed her within the month.

It was a little morbid to think this way, but at 71, it wasn't so far off to imagine one's own end, and if I could choose it, that would be how I would want to go. Peacefully, and with Edward not far behind me, because I could not dream of heaven without him there beside me.

Those types of thoughts were not with me long as Alice brought me out to lunch and then to find a dress fit for a great-grandmother to dance in. After a little searching, we found a scoop neck dress in mocha, with silver accents that was perfect for the occasion.

As the date of the party approached, I felt a little silly, but it was worth it the evening of as Edward helped me clasp my necklace on and smiled at our reflection in the mirror. "Happy Anniversary, my darling Bella. You're as lovely today as you were the day we met."

I smiled a watery smile to his reflection as I reached to my waist to take his hand. "Ever the charmer, Mr. Cullen. Now, what do you say we go get this show on the road?"

Edward laughed heartily at my reluctance to be the center of attention as we headed downstairs to the town car that Johnny had reserved for us, knowing I'd balk at a limo.

The drive wasn't that long and it was soon that we turned down that familiar lane that led to the clubhouse, the years turning back along with it. I was mesmerized by the decorations as we walked in. There was a large photo of Edward and I from the paper on the day I won the US Open. We were side by side, as he walked me from the final hole to the clubhouse, our bodies pressed close by the crowd that surrounded us, somehow the number of people there camouflaged the fact that we would have been even closer if it wasn't for our audience. There was also a large photo collage of us with our family, which now included five children, eighteen grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren.

Johnny was waiting for us outside, a huge smile on his face. "Don't kill me guys, my aunts can be pretty persistent when it comes to things." We laughed as he pushed open the doors and the DJ announced us.

It was surreal being back there with our friends and family, back where it all began. Walking in, we were met by hugs and smiles as we made the rounds before sitting down for the meal. The food, as always, was delicious, and soon the opening chords to that familiar song began as Edward held out his hand to me.

Dancing with him to "Unforgettable" was just that, as a half-century of treasured memories was bookended by two dances to the same song, our song.

The rest of the evening was filled with stories of us over the years, happy and sad times, memories old and new, but always tales of our love and devotion, and the example it had set for our children and grandchildren to aspire to.

It was during one of my dances with Johnny that I got one of the best presents of the evening. It was at that moment that he told me that Taylor and he had talked about it and he was going to make a try for being a professional golfer. He was giving it five years, and if he couldn't win his spot on the tour by then, he'd come back to the family business, but if he did make it, I was his main source of inspiration. That did me in as the tears started and I clung to him, so happy that with two champion Golfers for grandparents, he looked up to me as much, if not a little more than he did Garrett, who was the first to admit that my story was the more phenomenal one.

I couldn't release the excitement as Edward and I went home from the party, cuddling up with him as my mind wandered to Johnny's future achievements.

~%~%~

Isabella lined up her putt and sank it, earning a respectable score for the round. Now, the crowd was focused on JR Cullen, the tension filling the air. Bella and Edward stood to the side with his children, waiting to see him make history.

It was an eternity in the moment it took him to line everything up and then draw his stroke back, hitting the ball and sending it towards the cup. It seemed to lose a little steam as it approached, but the telltale clink of the ball hitting the bottom of the hole sent the crowd into an uproar, cameras flashing and people cheering as Johnny ran to his grandmother, swinging her gently through the air before hugging his grandfather and being tackled by his three children.

The press was all over him, but he just smiled and went in to sign his card and make the round official. It was in that moment that the reporters turned to Isabella, asking for her statement.

"JR comes from a family of golfers and we were as happy with his decision to follow this path as we were with every decision he's made before it. It's a wonderful thing to be here to see it, as I was last year when he won the US Open and I cannot wait to see all that his future holds for him. He's not only a great golfer, but also an exceptional man, and I'm proud to call him my grandson. It was an honor to play with him today."

With his hand on her lower back, Edward led Isabella away from the crowds and into the clubhouse, where she could wait to congratulate her grandson in private.


End file.
